Caught In A Moment
by xHalosandwings
Summary: Ted DiBiase is stuck; stuck in a dull job with an even duller girlfriend. All it takes is one night, one dream, and one girl to change everything. Who is she? All Ted knows is that she's perfect, and he has to find her. Ted/Maryse AU.
1. Going Nowhere

NEW FIC ALERT :)  
I got the idea for this from an episode of Gossip Girl, but I decided to expand it and make it a Ted/Maryse fic, because... well... why not? :P  
(Also, I started a poll a few months back about which couples I should use, and this was the most popular!)  
Hope you enjoy it, and please leave a **review**! It'll help me decide whether to carry on!

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**GOING NOWHERE**

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Ted DiBiase was bored.

Things were going from dull to duller in the person finance department of Layman and Sons bank, as Ted found himself stuck in endless piles of marketing figures that had to be put into the system. Being the youngest Corporate Finance advisor came with both its privileges and its weighty workload.

Feeling downtrodden, Ted pulled a Snickers bar out of his desk drawer and began chomping. He didn't even like chocolate that much.

"You're not going to keep that fine physique if you're eating candy." Ted's personal assistant Eve Torres came and perched on the edge of his desk. Eve was the only thing that Ted enjoyed about his job; she was just so good to look at – especially when she wore that tight black skirt...

"Have you seen this pile of paper work? Chocolate is just a small salvation." Ted grinned.

"Well, you'll be happy to see this, then." Eve dug into her trouser pocket and pulled out a Kit Kat. Ted happily opened it. "You can thank me later." Eve rolled her eyes.

"Thank you." Ted said, gratefully. God, he wished he could ask Eve out. There was just the small problem of Eve's weightlifter boyfriend, and Ted's girlfriend – who, thank god, was _not_ a weight lifter.

"Need some help?" Eve picked up half of the stack, and flicked through them to see what she was dealing with. She may have only been a personal assistant, but she could be damn clever when she wanted to be.

"You're a lifesaver." He groaned, and leaned back in his chair.

"You look exhausted." Eve commented.

"I _am_ exhausted. I was here until one am last night, filling out forms and processing data."

Ted hadn't ever wanted to work in finance. In his youth, he was a rising football talent, with the ability to go all the way to the Superbowl. He was quick and strong, but a torn Achilles tendon put a stop to his career before it even began. He did, however, still have a gift for numbers, instantly leading him into a career in finance. It wasn't his passion, but it paid the necessary bills.

"You ever want to get out of this town?" Ted asked Eve, thoughtfully, as the brunette thumbed through a pile of paper work.

"With you?" She smirked. "No; you drive like a maniac and I get the vibe you're one of those guys that snores."

"I don't snore," Ted said defensively. "But that's not the point. I mean...do you ever wish you could leave Clinton? Just...get on a train and go to the first place that pops into your head?"

Eve paused, pursing her lips in thought, before breaking into a smile. "I always wanted to be a dancer." She nodded decisively. "I wanted to go to New York and become a dancer on Broadway. "I guess besides making coffee and faxing marketing figures, dancing is the only thing I've ever been good at. It's the only thing I've ever been passionate about."

"You learn something new every day." Ted commented.

"What about you?" Eve asked. "What's your passion? What motivates you?"

Ted didn't have to think very hard. "Football." He answered. "I never wanted to do anything else. I got it for a little while, but an injury stopped me."

"So you got into banking instead." Eve confirmed. "Lucky you."

"At this company, none of us are lucky." Ted shrugged. "We make money and wonder what could've been instead."

* * *

Ted went to _Dougray's_ pretty much every night; it was his home away from home, and his hide-out. It was a cross between a bar and a pub, but all titles aside, it served cheap beer and they people were reasonably friendly. There were three of them that went; Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes and Natalya Neidhart.

Cody was – as Ted drunkenly called him - 'his heterosexual life-partner'. They had been best friends since elementary school, and in some ways, they were still like kids. They did everything together; watching sport, drinking beer, working out, you name it, they did it together. Ted thought they were like brothers, but Natalya just teased that they were closet gays. Natalya, or Nattie as they called her, was like their sister. She was funny, and smart, but she fitted in with the guys with ease. She loved sports and beer, and not doing a whole lot else, but she could be sexy as hell. Out of the three of them, Natalya was the only single one, and she got _a lot_ of action.

"God, who died in here?" Natalya carried three beers back to their table, and placed one in front of each person, before examining each grim face. "You look like you're about to go to a funeral."

"Kelly's being a..." Cody's voice faded away. He wanted to say bitch, but that was a _little_ harsh. "I'm twenty-four, and she's like 'Codes, how do you feel about kids?' or 'Codes, my ring finger's looking empty'. She's got it all planned out." He took a long, reassuring slug of beer. "You know what? I bet you she's poking little tiny holes in my condoms."

Ted grinned; he could sympathize. "I feel your pain." He responded. "Mickie's totally broody, and it doesn't help that she's surrounded by kids all day." He said, referring to his kindergarten teacher-girlfriend.

"Yeah, but Mickie's like, thirty." Cody pointed out. "Kelly's barely out of college."

"And plus, Cody and Kelly have only been together for like, nine months, whereas you and Mickie have been together for like, nine years." Natalya nudged Ted.

"It's only been three years." Ted muttered in correction.

"Same thing. She clearly wants more from you, Ted. You'd better put a ring on it." She grinned, quoting the infamous Beyonce song.

Ted was glad he had a girl like Natalya around to help with his Mickie related problems. "What if I'm not there yet?"

"If you're not there after three years, are you ever gonna be there?"

Oddly enough, it was Cody that came up with this wise response. And that response stuck with Ted as he made his way home from _Dougray's_ and got back to see Mickie sat on the couch, watching TV.

Ted had met Mickie four years prior through Natalya. Natalya had been dating a guy called Taylor who was friends with Mickie. At Taylor's birthday party, the pair was introduced. Unfortunately, Mickie already had a boyfriend, but the pair swapped emails as friends. A year later, however, Mickie and her boyfriend had broken up, and she started dating Ted. Mickie was a beautiful girl; she was petite, yet curvaceous, with caramel brown hair, and chocolaty eyes. She was also funny, and caring, and Ted liked her straight away. After eighteen months of their relationship, however, the magic was beginning to wear off. The chemistry they once had was no longer there, but neither one wanted to admit it. So Ted moved in with Mickie.

Big mistake.

The pair became, in Ted's eyes, boring. They were like those married couples on TV shows, that never communicated, and that didn't care. They were together for the sake of being together.

"Hey Ted," Mickie looked up at her boyfriend. She never seemed to feel the same as he did; at least, she didn't show it. "I made mac and cheese earlier, so I left you some in the fridge."

"Thanks." He responded dryly, sitting down next to her. The bare skin on their arms brushed, and what used to give Ted tingles now left him emotionless.

"Well, I'd better go to bed." She got to her feet and left the room. "See you soon," She called from halfway up the stairs, leaving Ted with nothing but Grey's Anatomy for company.

And so he went about the rest of his evening in peace. He ate mac and cheese, watched ESPN and even got halfway through _Remember The Titans_ before deciding he was tired and turning off everything downstairs. He brushed his teeth, went to the toilet and got dressed, before climbing into bed next to Mickie. He used to watch her sleep all the time; watch the rise and fall of her chest, and listen to her light breathing. Now, he didn't see the point. He just lay back in the bed, and closed his eyes.

Was this all there was to life? A series of activities that made up each day? A boring, repetitive cycle that seemed impossible to escape? A loveless relationship where no-one wins and no-one lose? Everyone stays in static?

Ted debated this for a little while until he finally fell asleep.

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Soooo... what did you think? Leave a **review** :)  
(I know there wasn't any Maryse, but that'll come in the next chapter!)


	2. The Dream

Ahh, I didn't expect such great feedback for the first chapter :):)  
Thanks to... _XxOrtonLegacyChickxX, MsHenniganHardy, xsostarstruck, xAracnaex, LaPush'sSheWolf_. and _Ainat  
_Reviews are definitely a great reward after you work hard on a chapter.  
Enjoy :)

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**THE DREAM**

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_It was the kind of hotel room that Ted envisioned important business types and Hollywood celebrities staying in. The walls were a thick, white padded material, and one of them was just a window looking out across the New York skyline, as the sun set over the Big Apple. Inside the room, the floors were a slick, laminated wood, and there were a couple of couches set up in front of the window. There was little else in the room, aside from a large bed, decorated with lavish cushions. _

_Ted stood up from the sofa, and loosened his tie, before throwing it down on the bed, on top of where his dinner jacket lay. His black suit trousers were creased, as was his rumpled white shirt. The top four buttons were already undone, exposing his neck, and stopping just above his heart. Before he could do anything else, the sound of a key turning in the door lock caught his attention. _

_The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen had entered the room. _

_She was stunning, incredible, captivating. Everything about her glowed, as if she were an angel, sent down from Heaven. Her hair was long, blonde and feathered; like a modern day Farah Fawcett. Her eyes were a crystal blue, as if you were looking into deep pools. Her lips were glossy pink shade, and formed a perfectly kissable pout. Ted could've stared at her face, but her body was just as enticing. _

_She was tall and slender, with curves in all the right places; her well-rounded cleavage, pert bottom and tiny waist were only accentuated by her short, black body-con dress. Her legs went on for days, smooth and tanned, finished off with a pair of killer heels. _

"_You're early," She purred in a delectable French accent, before slipping off her heels and throwing her bag down on the ground. She stayed firmly planted by the door. _

"_You look-" Ted didn't even know how to end that sentence. He was lost for words. _

_The blonde didn't respond, instead walking straight towards Ted with a fierce concentration in her eyes. She stopped less than a foot away from him, their bodies near pressed together. She stood on her tiptoes so her lips grazed Ted's ear. "I shouldn't be here," She whispered, before gently biting down on his lobe. _

"_Don't go," He breathed, as her kisses traced down his ear, and onto his neck. _

_She looked up at him, an unrequited longing in her eyes, before she clapped her hands onto the collar of his shirt, and pulled his head down until their lips barely touched hers. When she felt him attempted to deepen the kiss, she pulled her lips away hastily. _

"_What are you doing to me?" Ted let out a low chuckle, as the blonde allowed a mischievous smile of her own. _

_She turned her attention to Ted's shirt, carefully undoing each button before tossing the shirt down on the ground. Her eyes became hypnotised by Ted's toned torso, as she wetted her bottom lip with her tongue. She placed a finger on his heartbeat, before tracing a line straight down his pecs, and across his abdomen, until her hand clasped onto his belt buckle. _

_Ted, however, was one step ahead of her. He gently took hold of her wrists, pulling them away and catching her off guard. As she looked up at him with a sudden innocence in her eyes, he caught her in a kiss. _

_This kiss was deeper, and longer than the previous one, as Ted allowed himself to sink into Maryse's mouth. He didn't want it to ever end, and it could've been minutes – it felt like hours – before Maryse cut him off by tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth, as one of her hands stroked at his chest, and the other massaged the back of his neck. As they simultaneously pulled away, something dawned on Ted. _

"_I don't even know your name." He stated. _

"_Shh," Maryse rested a finger against Ted's lips. "Don't say anything." _

_So he didn't; he was powerless to this mystery girl. _

_Every inch of her made him throb with desire; from her rose-scented perfume, to the taste of her cherry lips; she was irresistible. Ted gripped onto her thighs and hitched them around his waist, before he carrying her over to the bed. He placed her down carefully on the bed, as if she were a delicate doll, before peeling her dress off of her. _

_She wasn't wearing underwear. _

_This was where the real fun began. _

_- X – _

_She was gone. _

_She was a tease, a goddess, the most incredible woman Ted had ever spent the night with, and now she'd disappeared. _

_All that remained was the smell of her rose perfume, etched into the bed sheets, and a couple of strands of blonde hair, arranged on the pillow from where she'd tossed her head in ecstasy. _

_Ted got out of bed; it was morning now, and the New York sky was a sparkling blue, the same colour as the girl's eyes. He slipped into his trousers, however he felt a sharp crinkling digging into his thigh. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a slip of paper. _

_**You wanted to know my name.  
Maryse. Maryse Ouellet. **_

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Ted sat bolt upright in his bed, before rubbing his eyes a couple of times. He'd had dreams before, but there was something different about that one; it _seemed_ real. Obviously he hadn't sleepwalked from Mississippi to New York, but there had to be something real about it. She had to be real.

"Baby, are you okay?" The bedside light flicking on and Mickie sitting up in bed next to Ted reminded him of what reality was. Sure, Mickie was beautiful, but that girl, Maryse, she was something else.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ted stepped out of bed, and grabbed a t-shirt to put on. "I'm gonna use the bathroom."

Stepping into the bathroom, Ted looked at himself in the mirror. He must've been restless; he had pillow creases in his cheeks, and his sweatpants were rumpled, but regardless, he had a ridiculous grin on his face.

Maryse Ouellet.

He wasn't going to forget that name in a hurry.

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Hope you enjoyed - please leave a **review** :) X


	3. Come Back Down

I know, my updates on this story have been shoddy, but I'm here now, and I know this update's short, but the next one will be _real _long. Get ready!  
Thanks to _JessicaHardy, __wAcKiEjAcKiE826, xAracnaex, xsostarstruck, Team McOrton, Ainat, XxOrtonLegacyChickxX, saygoodnightx, TedxMaryseFan, xFortunateGirlx, BigRedMachineUK, i.l._ for reviewing. It means a lot :)  
Please **review** this chapter, and take the time to take the** poll **on my page!  
Thanks again :)

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**COME BACK DOWN**

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"-and so I've spoken with Debra from human resources about last month's figures..."

As his boss' droning voice continued, Ted felt himself zoning out; he didn't care anymore. This stupid bank meant nothing. He didn't care about Debra from human resources and he definitely didn't care about last month's figures.

From across the boardroom table, he managed to catch Eve's eye as she looked up from the notes she was making. She shot Ted a discrete, yet cheeky wink, before returning to her writing. If that had been a week prior, it would've rocked Ted's world, but now, he felt nothing. All he cared about was Maryse.

Whoever she was.

In the space of about seven days, Ted had gone from being just a normal guy, to someone that was hung up over something that didn't even happen. It was a dream. How could it change him so much? It was insanity. And Cody and Natalya hadn't been much help either.

"_Let it go, Teddy, let it go." Natalya mused from behind her glass of red wine. "It was a dream; we all have them." _

"_Oh yeah?" Ted grinned. "Who'd you dream about?" _

_She blushed. "That's for me to know, and for you to wonder about." She paused. "Although I will say this; it certainly was Fast and Furious." _

"_Paul Walker?" _

"_Please!" Natalya scoffed. "I eat boys like him for breakfast. I need a real man." _

"_Vin Diesel." Cody concluded. _

_Natalya rolled her eyes, before turning back to Ted. "Like I say saying, sweetie, you'll get over it. It was just a dream." The blonde patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, before going up to the bar to refill her glass. _

_Cody leaned over, "So how hot was this chick?" _

If it was just a dream, then why had he been so affected by it? Everytime Ted looked at Mickie, he genuinely felt as if he'd cheated on her – then again, Mickie had been pretty distant over the past couple of-

"DiBiase!" His boss glanced over in his direction. "Why don't you present to us our project aims for the next six month period?"

Ted got to his feet, and did the presentation, despite the fact his mind wasn't in it. His work life was so mechanical that for all Ted knew, he could've been talking about Maryse, because he wasn't even aware of what he was saying. Eventually the meeting came to an end, and Ted found himself alone in the boardroom with Eve, as she gathered up her notes, arranging them into a neat pile before placing them into her handbag.

"So," Eve broke the silence that had formed in the air. "A group of us are going out for drinks later," She perched on the edge of the long table and began crossing and uncrossing her legs, unconsciously aware of how sexy she was. "You should join us."

Ted sighed, "I'm not sure-"

"Oh come on!" Eve chuckled, getting up and placing a hand on Ted's upper arm. "It's the human resources girls, and they drive me insane! If I'm alone, I'll end up running out in front of some car. You wouldn't make a lady do that, would you?"

"You're not exactly selling the scenario to me." Ted laughed back. "And I'm not coming not because of that, but because I've got plans of my own."

"Oh yeah? With Mickie?"

Ted shook his head sadly; he couldn't remember the last time he and Mickie had 'plans'. "Just seeing some friends."

"Is everything alright between you and Mickie?" Eve asked. "I don't mean to pry, it's just...you never say much about her."

"We're fine," Ted lied with a shrug, before picking up his own notes. "Listen, I've gotta go, but good luck tonight, yeah?"

And he was gone, leaving Eve to look at the empty space where he'd once been stood.

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"Stop thinking about her!" Natalya snapped her fingers in front of Ted's face, as she noticed his eyes glazing over. He'd been doing that a lot lately.

"Sorry," Ted muttered, rubbing his eyes as if he'd been asleep, and then drinking his beer.

"You're insane, man." Cody laughed. "This chick doesn't even exist, and you're fawning over her like she does!"

"You do the same." Ted argued. "I've seen your Marissa Miller calendar, and it's exactly the same!"

"I'm still holding out for Marissa," Cody winked at Natalya, who rolled her eyes. "Besides, Marissa Miller is a real person, whereas dream girl doesn't."

"You never know-"

"You can't obsess over this," Natalya told Ted gently. "You can't get caught in a world that's too good to be true, because if you do, reality just won't compare."

"I've got to find her." There was a stunned silence at the table. No-one spoke; even the chatter in the bar seemed to die away, as neither Cody nor Natalya could believe what their friend had just said.

"What?" Was all Cody could come out with.

"Nattie's right," Ted said slowly, formulating a plan in his head. "Reality doesn't compare to this dream world, so I've gotta find out if she's real."

Natalya laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck, "That's not what I meant-"

"I can't live without trying." He looked his friend dead in the eye. "I need you guys to help me. Can you do that?"

Natalya looked at Ted with concern for her friend. Cody on the other hand looked at Ted like he needed to be wheeled off to the nearest nuthouse.

"Can you guys help me out?" He repeated.

Reluctantly, Natalya sighed. "Fine," She received a raised eyebrow from Cody, but she nodded anymore. "We'll help you out."

"You guys are the best," Ted grinned at the realisation that his hopes were one step closer to being achieved.

"So go buy us some drinks as thanks." Natalya smiled encouragingly, as if talking to a child. Ted didn't seem to care, as he got up and left the table.

Cody waited for a couple of seconds, before hissing, "What're you doing? This chick probably doesn't even exist, and you're getting his hopes up! We're never gonna find him; you're just setting him up to get his heart broken!"

Natalya looked over at her friend at the bar, a goofy grin still on his face. "I know." She looked back at Cody with pursed lips. "But if he's not going to take it from us, he's gonna have to take it the hard way."


	4. Leap Of Faith

Thanks to _JessicaHardy, xAracnaex, xFortunateGirlx, TedxMaryseFan_ and _xsostarstruck_ for reviewing the last chapter!  
Just a few little 'heads ups' about the story that I wanted to let you know, because the feedback I've got so far is awesome!  
- It's not going to be a very long fic, only about 12 chapters because I don't want to drag it out.  
- It's _not_ going to be a happy story. If you're looking for an uplifting read, stop reading...NOW! :)

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**LEAP OF FAITH**

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Searching for someone you'd never met was an exhausting task. Ted could feel his eyes shutting, and his brain turning to mush, but he was determined to continue, so he rubbed at the fluttering lids and turned back to his computer screen.

He looked over at his friends, who'd both passed out on the couch of his office. Natalya was cradling a copy of the local phonebook, with another one on her lap. Her head was rested against Cody's shoulder, as he lay asleep next to her; his mouth hanging open and occasionally spewing some sleepy mumbles.

It was in that moment when Ted began to contemplate whether all this effort was worth the outcome. It was seven am, and he was sat in his office having been there for most of the night, searching for a woman he'd never even met. Maybe his friends were right; she came from a dream, and chances are, she was a figment of his imagination. It wasn't as if he was ever going to find her-

"Oh my God," He murmured, scrolling through the results that had appeared on his computer screen. "It can't be..." His voice trailed off, as he found himself entranced by the website he'd just clicked on. "Guys!" He yelled over at his sleeping friends, who gradually woke up. "Guys, I've found her!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Natalya muttered, as she and Cody walked over to their friend's side. "Where did you find it?"

Glancing over the screen, Cody smirked. "Oh my God, dude, your dream girl is a hooker!" The garish layout of the homepage was a hint at Maryse's career, but the picture of the girl on screen made up for it; she was even more beautiful in real life than in Ted's head; she was absolutely perfect, but completely out of reach.

"I guess that's why the sex was so good," Ted grinned.

Natalya shot him a glowering scowl. "So you've found her," The female of the trio straightened up, before leaning back against the wall behind her. "Big deal. It's not like you can do anything about it-"

"I could find her." Once again, Ted's friends were forced into silence, however this time, there was no sympathy; just pity for their deluded friend.

"No." Natalya said, vehemently. "Ted, stop playing around, and think realistically. You've got a job, and a girlfriend. You can't just leave everything behind and go to-" She looked at the address on the screen. "-New York! No, I'm not giving you any support on this. I've gone along with this charade and I'm not going to play a part in this stupid fantasy anymore!" The blonde picked up her handbag which sat on the sofa, and slung it over her shoulder and left Ted's office, slamming the door behind her.

"Wow," Ted muttered at Cody. "Obviously it's someone's time of the month." Picking up a notepad, he began scribbling down the address of the brothel.

"Yeah," The younger of the two men chuckled nervously. "But Nattie's got a point. I mean, you can't just drop everything you've built here for something that may never happen."

"How am I supposed to live my life knowing I didn't even make the effort?" Ted asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer from his dim friend. "I'm twenty-seven years old, and my life feels like it's come to a standstill. I need to find Maryse and I need to get moving again."

"What're you doing here so early?" There was a quiet knock at the door, and Eve came inside, holding two cups of coffee. She turned to Cody and a soft smile fell upon her face. "We haven't met. I'm Eve, Ted's assistant."

"I'm Cody, Ted's friend." Cody melted into blushing schoolboy mode as the pretty PA spoke to him.

"So what're you guys doing here so early?" Eve repeated, including Cody this time, as she sat on the edge of Ted's desk and looked over at the computer screen. "Seriously, who looks up hookers this early in the morning?"

It was then that Cody and Ted decided to tell Eve the whole story so far; from Ted's first dream, to his latest scheme of going to find a stranger in New York. Listening intently, the beautiful brunette nodded intently after every sentence, her mouth gaping open slightly.

"So?" Ted concluded. "What do you think?"

"That's..." Eve caught her breath. "I'm shocked; I didn't expect it of you, Ted. It's crazy. You're really just gonna leave this town? You've got a lot of balls, DiBiase."

"But you understand why I'm doing this?"

"Of course!" She hopped off the desk, and almost right out of her heels. "I'm a romantic at heart too, I get it. You've got to follow your heart and do what's right for you. Just as long as you regularly text me to keep me updated."

"You're really gonna do this?" Cody asked.

"I'm really gonna do it." There were butterflies in Ted's stomach, and a pounding in his chest, but he couldn't help but feel excited. "I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna quit my job, and I'm gonna go to New York!"

"I'm so proud of you!" Eve threw her arms around her friend, before pointing in the direction of the door. "Now go find Mr Trimmer and tell him you're gonna quiet this hell hole!"

Grinning at his employee, Ted rushed out of the office, leaving just Eve and Cody.

"So," Cody smiled at Eve. "What's the situation with your love life?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Eve winked, before slinking out of the office.

* * *

"_Tell me something, Ted_," Mickie's voice flooded in from the downstairs hallway. "_How come I get a call in the middle of the day – in the middle of one of my classes – from you telling me there's an emergency? I don't see any police cars of fire trucks outside-" _

"Come upstairs, Mickie." Ted called back. He heard his girlfriend sigh loudly, before stomping upstairs, angry at being dragged away from work

"What's going-" She felt silent, as she saw her boyfriend pulling clothes out of the closet and shoving them into a suitcase. "What's going on? Where are you going?"

"I'm going away," He replied, not even making eye contact with Mickie.

"Well, for how long?" She didn't even more from her spot in the doorway.

"Couple of days, maybe weeks, possibly months." He sounded so nonchalant, as he paused to shrug, but going back to his packing. "I dunno, it's unclear."

"What is it? A business trip?"

"More of a...personal discovery."

"Okay, what does that even mean?" Mickie demanded, finally moving over to Ted. "Things have been bad between us for a long time, but is going away the answer?"

"Is staying here and being miserable the answer?" Ted struck back, finally letting his eyes meet his girlfriend. Nothing; he felt nothing for her anymore. "This relationship's going nowhere fast, Mickie, and are we supposed to just ignore it? I'm making things easier for the both of us by packing my bags and getting out of here. You don't have to do anything-"

"I've been seeing someone else."

It wasn't even as if it accidentally slipped out; Mickie knew what she was saying, and she had to get it off her chest.

"He teaches gym to the kids at school, and we've been secretly dating for about three months." Smiling, Mickie sat down on the edge of the bed, being careful not to move any of Ted's packing. "He's called John."

"Is he a nice guy?" Ted asked absently minded, zipping up his suitcase.

"Yeah, he's lovely."

"Well, then I'm happy for you."

Mickie laughed, but it was a painful laugh. One of complete disbelief. "Oh my God," She chuckled. "Did you ever really love about me?"

Ted thought about his answer. "I used to." He picked up his suitcase and began dragging it downstairs. "Be happy, Mickie. You deserve it."

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Walking through the airport, there was still a surge of excitement running through Ted. He wasn't a 'spur of the moment', spontaneous kind of guy, and here he was, at the airport, about to get a plane to New York to change his life forever. He didn't have a job, he didn't have a girlfriend, and yet he was happier than he'd been in years. It was time for a fresh start.

"Excuse me; do you have any seats left on the next flight to New York?" Approaching the booking desk, Ted spoke urgently to the airport receptionist.

"There are three seats left." She replied cheerily.

"-_and we're gonna need the other two_." Ted turned around and saw Cody and Natalya in the queue behind him, both with suitcases in hand. Cody's face was brimming with happiness, and Natalya had a smile on her face; albeit a reluctant one.

"What're you guys doing here?" Ted asked.

"You didn't think you could go without us, did you?" Cody stepped forward and handed the receptionist his credit card so he could pay for the three tickets.

"And you?" Ted asked Natalya.

"If you're gonna make the biggest mistake of your life, you're gonna need me to pick up the pieces." She reached over and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you," He kissed the top of his friend's forehead.

"As much as I'm loving the emotional reunion," Cody held up the newly purchased tickets. "We've got a flight to catch."

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Hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review** :) Xx


	5. New York Dolls

Thank you to _JessicaHardy, BroadwayAngelLyric, xFortunateGirlx, xsostarstruck, BigRedMachineUK, xAracnaex, i.l., lipsofxdeceitx3, and ashley-n-john-4-ever, _for reviewing. You guys are awesome :)_  
_Hope this was worth the wait, and you enjoy it :)

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**NEW YORK DOLLS**

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* * *

**

"New York City," Natalya muttered, as the plane took off for the Big Apple. They weren't even in the sky yet, and Cody was already asleep. Ted, who was sat the other side of Natalya, was practically jumping out of his seat. "I can't believe I'm really going to New York City."

"Yeah, I never thought you'd actually come," Grinning back, Ted watched as his friend let her head fall back against the headrest, and her eyes flutter shut. He could sense that Natalya was tired, so he decided to let her sleep. Obviously Cody had worn her down, physically and mentally, getting her to come to New York, and the least Ted could do was let her have a couple of hours sleep.

Ted, on the other hand, was way too excited to settle down. Digging into his hand luggage, he pulled out his laptop and turned on instant messenger. He knew Eve would be sat at her office desk, probably on Net-A-Porter looking at clothes she couldn't afford, not to mention waiting for him on instant messenger.

_Hey, how's the office without me? _

_Boring. They've already brought in your replacement – you know Chad from finance? _

_Oh my God, the guy with the ponytail? _

_He's such a douche. He's like 'Hey Eve, I'm gonna go out to Subway with the guys, can you file my reports?' and then he comes back with ranch dressing in his stubble. It's not even like he makes up for it by being good at his job, because he sucks! _

_I'll bet you're missing me right now. Who else are you sharing your chocolate with? _

_It's stashed in my desk drawer until the right person comes along. _

_That makes me feel real special. _

_Anyway, enough about me. Where are you? _

_I'm on the plane right now, we took off a couple of minutes ago and Cody and Nattie are already asleep! _

_That's pretty smart thinking. When you get to NY, you're gonna be full-on from the get go. You'll need your rest if you wanna keep up. _

_You trying to get rid of me, Torres? _

_No, I should probably go anyway though. I've gotta file these reports for Chad. _

_Are you __**actually**__ going to file the reports? _

_Of course not. I'm gonna search for new pencil skirts and heels for the office over the internet, and maybe go and chat to the girls in human resources. If Chad thinks I'm gonna do all his work for him and let him take the glory, he's got another thing coming. _

_I dunno why you didn't get my job. You're probably better than anyone else in the office. _

_Because I'm just your assistant. Anyway, I'm gonna go. Email me when you get to New York? _

_Of course. _

_Bye Ted xxx_

_Bye Eve Xxx_

Closing his laptop, Ted decided to take Eve's advice and get some sleep. He was glad he did, as the minute his head touched the headrest, he was out like a light.

* * *

"This is going nowhere," Natalya gritted her teeth together, before flopping down on the nearest bench with a sigh. "We're never going to find her."

"That's not true-"

"Yes, Ted. It is true." She continued, a little too loudly, forcing the homeless man next to her on the bench to roll his eyes, before getting up and walking away. Natalya ignored him. "How long have we been here, now? A week. We've been here a week, and we still haven't found Maryse. There are millions of people in this city; the chances are slim to none. No-one we've asked has seen her-"

"They've seen her!" Ted shot back. "I know they have; they're just too embarrassed to admit it because she's a hooker." He was convinced this was the case.

The trio had spent a week going around New York City with Maryse's picture, shoving it in people's faces and asking if they knew her, or even recognised her. Many, obviously, didn't, but many of the guys – especially uptight businessmen - had the same response; they'd mutter something about not knowing her with a blush, before looking down at their shiny shoes and scurrying away. They knew her; they just wouldn't admit it.

"How are you so optimistic?" Natalya softened, her tone lowered. "We keep getting shot down, but you just keep on trying."

"I didn't break up with my girlfriend and quit my job for nothing, and I certainly didn't come here to not get what I came for; I wanna see this through." He replied, determined. "If you guys want to go back to Clinton, I don't blame you. You can go. But I'm gonna stay here until I get the answers I'm looking for."

"Guys, this is getting way too intense." Cody cut in, standing in between Ted and Natalya. "Let's take a break and talk about this later. Look, it's getting dark; we're not gonna find her now, so we should probably call it a night anyway. Let's go have a drink, and then we'll start looking again tomorrow."

"Fine, I saw a bar just up the road," I sighed, beginning to walk. "We can go there."

"Sounds good to me." Natalya smiled. Even at night, the streets in New York City were bustling. None of the trio had ever been there before, so they found themselves in awe of the beautiful city. The sky was dark, yet aglow with tiny silver stars and the light coming from the buildings. It was amazing to look at.

"Here we are, _The Dollhouse,_" Cody read the name over the door, before stepping inside, however it wasn't the kind of bar any of them had in mind.

Natalya scowled "You brought me to a strip club?"

There was a red glow to the inside of the bar, which was filled with fifty/fifty with scantily clad women, and entranced men. Most of these were business men in suits, attempting to unwind after a long day, but there was a bachelor party inside; a bunch of rowdy twenty-somethings causing ruckus. Natalya, who'd never been in a strip club before, was in awe herself.

"This place is...weird."

"I don't even care where we drink," Cody shrugged, already walking over to the bar. "I need a beer."

"I'm game." Ted followed his friend.

Realising she was outnumbered, Natalya huffed, following her two male friends. "Where's the females when you need them?"

"Grinding against a pole onstage." Cody smirked, pointing onstage where a stunning redhead was finishing up her set, keeping the punters happy. The dollar bills shoved down the sides of her underwear and in her garter were a clear sign of this.

"What can I get you?" The barmaid was tall with long blonde hair and a slim body; she didn't seem like the stripper type.

"Two beers," Ted answered.

"You?" The barmaid looked over at Natalya.

"Vodka and anything; it's been a long day." She put her head in her hands.

"Alright," The barmaid smiled, before serving up the three drinks.

"So," Cody was obviously interested in the barmaid, "Are you a...?"

"Stripper?" She grinned, used to being asked the question. "No way." Quickly, she realised what she'd said, and shook her head. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. No, I'm just a barmaid, trying to make some money. I've got a kid at home."

"You've got a kid? What's your name?"

"Michelle McCool," She was secretly happy; none of the customers were ever interested in her. They only ever cared about the girls on the poles. "And yeah, I've got a little boy called Darren. He's six."

"If he's anything like you, I'll bet he's a cute kid," Cody winked.

"He is," Michelle smiled softly. "I just wish I got to spend more time with him. His dad left soon after he was born, so it's just me and him. I work two jobs; I teach seventh grade science during the day, and at night, I'm a bartender."

"Must be tough," He commented sympathetically.

"It is, but I've gotta pay the bills-"

The voice on the overhead system cut the pair's conversation short, as it said, "_Please welcome to the stage_, _the beautiful, exotic...FRENCHIE!"_

There was a loud applause, as from behind the curtain came a beautiful, yet familiar looking blonde. Clad in little more than black panties, a bra and heels, she sauntered onto the stage, running her hands through her hair. The sound of _'Stripper' _by Sohodolls came on the sound system, and she began dancing, swaying carelessly to the music, her eyes closed the whole time. The only time her eyes would open was when she'd get to her knees, allowing someone to poke money into her garter.

One man, middle-aged, in a dark suit, leaned over, placing a hundred dollar bill in there. "Thank you, sweetie," She purred into his ear, before getting up and continuing her dance.

"Ted?" Cody nudged his friends, who was captivated by the woman on stage. "Ted, are you there?"

"It's her," Ted whispered. "That's Maryse."

Cody raised an eyebrow at Natalya, who decided to speak up. "I thought she was a prostitute." Natalya asked Michelle.

"That too," Michelle added. "She's just making money where she can. And with a body like that, can you blame her?"

"I certainly can't," Ted hesitantly broke his gaze from Maryse and turned it to Michelle. "Do you have her number?"

"Ted, you're disgusting." Natalya scrunched up her face at her friend. "Have you no decency?"

"Cool it, Nattie," He turned back to Maryse with a smile. "I've got an idea."

* * *

Thanks for reading and please leave a **review** :):)


	6. Hooker, Line And Sinker

Right, thanks to _JessicaHardy, wAcKiEjAcKiE826, RyssaBaybeee, xAracnaex, xsostarstruck, Ainat, _ and _i.l. _for the reviews, you lovely, lovely people!  
I know I've made you wait for it, but I'm reeeeally happy with how this chapter turned out and I hope you are too!  
Enjoy! :)

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**HOOKER, LINE AND SINKER**

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From the fourth floor of the hotel, the views of New York were breathtaking. Sat in the windowsill of Ted's hotel room, Natalya felt so peaceful, watching the dark sky glow with the light from the skyscrapers. There weren't moments like this in Clinton, she thought with a smile. She wanted to remember that moment forever; the hum of the traffic below, the night time bustle on the streets and the magnificent sight in front of her.

But when she swung her legs down and turned back into the hotel room, the sight of Ted and Cody pawing over the phone numbers they'd acquired was one she'd happily forget.

"I guess I'm gonna have to be the realistic one," She sighed. "Cody, why did you get Michelle's number? In case you've forgotten, you're still in a relationship with Kelly and I don't think she'd be too happy to find out you're hitting on single moms in strip joints." Natalya looked at Ted. "And for God's sake, are you happy now? Maryse is a prostitute slash stripper and you've got her number. What're you gonna do about it? Call her and 'book a meeting'?"

Silence from Ted.

"Oh my God, you are, aren't you?"

"I just thought – and I know it's crazy – that if I slept with her, I'd see if it was anything like the dream and if it was-"

"Then dream girl is just as good a fuck as you thought she was?" She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. "I can't do this, it's too late at night for me to be playing mommy."

"You're right," Cody piped up, sitting next to her in the windowsill. "Nat, why don't you go back to your hotel room? There's a huge tub; take a long hot bath, or just go straight to bed. Either way, you need to relax."

Natalya twisted her mouth from a frown into a wry smile. "That bath does seem pretty appealing right now." She got to her feet. "Alright, I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Thanks for that," Ted said once Natalya was gone. "I love her but she's so frickin' judgemental sometimes."

"Tell me about it," Cody swung his legs so he was sat in the position where Natalya had been. "I can see why she spent so long looking out of the window."

"Yeah, New York sure is something."

"So are you really gonna call up Maryse?" Cody asked. "Have you thought this through?"

Ted pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, his fingers hovering over the numbers. Was he going to go through with it? He felt like a teenage boy about to look through his dad's Playboys.

"Do you want me to do it?" Cody approached Ted.

"No, no," Ted said quickly. That would be very junior high. "No, that'd be-"

"Give it here," Cody snatched the cell phone out of Ted's hands and dialled the number, pressing the phone to his ear.

"I can't listen to this," Ted disappeared into the bathroom for three minutes and when he came out, Cody was sat back in the windowsill, the phone on Ted's bed. "Well?"

"She'll be here in twenty minutes," He replied casually.

"What?" Ted exclaimed. "You spoke to her?"

"No, I didn't speak to _her_; I spoke to her pimp." Cody spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Who surprisingly, is a chick. A really hot sounding chick to make matters even sexier."

"You've got Kelly, Michelle and now you're planning on scoring with a lady-pimp?" Ted smirked. "Wow, you've sunk to lows I never knew you could get to."

"Yeah, there must be something in the New York air." Cody grinned back, before hopping off the windowsill and grabbing his jacket from the back of one of the chairs. "Well, as much as I'd love to see you get laid by a hooker, I've got a date."

"A date?"

"Well, I'm going to pick Michelle up from the bar now her shift's finished. Because of Darren, she doesn't have much spare time." He paused, slinging on his jacket. "Anyway, Darren's at his grandma's so I'm picking my spot. Later man, don't forget to use protection."

And as Cody closed the door behind him, Ted was left to wonder what the hell he'd got himself into.

* * *

"_Hello? Is anyone in there?" _

That must've been Maryse, Ted thought to himself as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. How was he meant to dress for a hooker? He assumed smart trousers, shoes and a black shirt would be acceptable. And why was he even thinking of his clothes at a moment like this? There was a hooker knocking on his door! What was he supposed to say or do? This was-

"_If you don't open up, I'm going!" _She called, the impatience clear in her French accent.

With a deep breath, Ted left the bathroom and made his way over to the door, opened it and was taken aback by the fact she was actually there in front of him.

"Finally," She commented, slipping past him into the room and sitting down on the edge of his bed. "I thought I had the wrong room."

Seeing Maryse grinding against a stripper's pole wasn't exactly the way he wanted to remember her, but this was. Gone was the slinky black lingerie – well, maybe it was still there – and in was a white-fitting white body con dress, showing every one of her perfect curves. Her blonde hair was teased into waves and her face perfectly made up, but what surprised Ted the most was how expensive she looked. He definitely had the image of tacky fur jackets and plastic heels, but Maryse was dripping in diamonds; silver cuffs on each delicate wrist, two heavy rings, a diamond necklace and earrings covered by her blonde locks.

She observed the dazed expression on his face, before saying, "I'm Frenchie."

"Is that your real name?" _Oh my God, why did you just say that?_ Ted asked himself, clearly not thinking straight. _Is that your real name? Dude, get it together! _

"It's not very original," She laughed, crossing her legs. "Obviously you know that's my name as a stripper and it's easier to just have the same name for both."

"How did you know I knew?"

"I saw you earlier at _The Dollhouse_. I never forget a face." She got up from the bed and walked over to Ted, playing with one of the buttons on the front of his shirt but not actually undoing it. "Especially when it's as handsome as yours."

"I bet you say that to all the guys," _Man, you have developed a __**serious**__attitude. Shut up and have sex. _

"You're clearly new to this," With an understanding nod, she walked over to the mini bar in the corner of the room. "That's fine. You just need to-" She pulled out a bottle of very expensive champagne which would make a serious dent on his tab. "-relax a little." In one swift move, she poured the liquid into two glasses – which seemed to appear from nowhere – before handing one to Ted. "Cheers."

He nodded and downed the glass, suddenly feeling very hot.

Maryse laughed a laugh that was halfway between a chuckle and a giggle. It was adorable. "I like you already, Ned."

Ah, so Cody had given him a fake name. "You want to know the truth?" On top of the champagne, Ted had drunk three beers at _The Dollhouse_ which had given him enough Dutch courage to press his lips against Maryse's ear. "My real name isn't Ned."

"Oh?"

"Ted." He pressed a kiss against her lips tenderly. "Ted DiBiase."

A coy smile appeared on the blonde's lips, so she turned away to hide it. "And I'm not called Frenchie."

"I kinda guessed-"

"Maryse." She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed her tongue into his mouth for five seconds before pulling away. "Maryse Ouellet."

* * *

From the comfort of his bed, Ted watched with a smile as Maryse scrambled out and found her underwear lying in a small pile on the floor. He secretly wished she'd keep it off, but as the blonde turned around and noticed the smile on his face, she pouted her lips together and waggled a finger. "Naughty boy."

He was officially in love with this woman after the best hour of sex of his life. In his head, he relived every moment of it; how kisses turned into sex, how she'd purr into his ear with that delicious accent, how every move she made would elicit a completely different reaction from Ted. He couldn't explain how he felt; euphoria would probably be the closest description.

Looking to the gap in the bed where she'd been, he noticed blonde hairs on the pillow case.

_Just like in the dream. _

Well, not exactly. There were lots of the hairs, as if her hair were falling out. He decided to ignore it, instead looking up at her, sat on the edge of the bed with a smile on her face. The underwear was on, but nothing more except for a pair of black stilettos. She was a killer.

"You've got another hour left," She pointed at the clock on the wall and crawled back towards him so they were face-to-face. "Spend it how you choose."

He thought for a moment, "Are you really French?"

She looked at him in complete disbelief, before laughing that half giggle half chuckle again. "You're really something else, Ted DiBiase." She paused. "Actually, I'm French-Canadian. Born and raised in Montreal."

"What're you doing in New York?"

"I'm just live every other girl that came here with dreams of a modelling career that ended up going down to pan," She said breezily. "Dreams don't always come true, you know."

"Tell me about it," Ted thought about his own football-ambitions that were no more.

"But hey, I've got it a lot better than some people." Maryse shrugged. "Prostitution isn't exactly my dream, but it pays well. Stripping is a great way to meet clients and it's extra cash either way. I get nice clothes, I get to attend nice events as an escort, plus my apartment in the West Village is gorgeous..."

She continued to talk casually about her life, but Ted wasn't listening. He was watching her as she dug into the silver clutch she'd brought with her and pulled out a small orange container. Popping open the lid, she emptied out three small pill capsules before looking over at Ted.

"Can I get a glass of water from the bathroom?" Ted nodded in respond, got out of bed, put on his boxers and followed Maryse into the bathroom and watched as she emptied three capsules of white powder into a glass of water. She swirled it around the glass until it wasn't visible before downing it in one.

"The drugs don't work," Ted commented with a smirk.

Maryse turned to him and grimaced. "They're not 'drugs'. They're medicine."

"You're ill?"

"Nothing some prescription medication can't heal," She quickly answered, going back into the bedroom and hiding the drugs. "Anyway, like I said, we have time to kill. Tell me why you came to New York."

Could he really tell her? Just admit everything and put himself completely out there?

He had to. Otherwise, why was he even here?

"This is gonna sound crazy-"

"Believe me, I've probably heard crazier." Maryse smiled, making herself comfortable on the bed. "Go ahead."

"Okay," He began. "Basically, I had this dream. About you. Weird, right? And ever since this dream, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I looked you up on the internet and found out you were living in New York – I'm originally from Mississippi – and my life in Clinton sucks, so I thought...why don't I just come to New York and try and find you? So I spend a week looking for you and then just when I'm about to give up, I go into _The Dollhouse_ with my two friends and I find you! Michelle at the bar gave me your number and I didn't know whether I should call, but I did and now...well, I don't know where this is going to lead, but I _really_ like you, Maryse-"

"Are you crazy?" She exclaimed furiously, her pretty face contorted in anger.

"Technically, you said you'd heard crazier-"

"You're right, I'd _heard_ some crazier things but I've never _met_ a crazier person!" She slipped the white dress back on. "I have to get out of here, you can send the rest of the money to my office-"

"Maryse, wait!" He followed her to the door and held onto her wrist, but she shoved him away.

"Get off me, you're insane!" Realising she'd left her bag in the room, she rushed back but before Ted knew what was happening, she'd collapsed onto the floor, coughing and spluttering. Maybe she _was_ ill.

"Oh my God," He ran into the bathroom, poured her another glass of water and handed her the glass. "Here, drink this."

She quickly drank it, took a few deep breaths and looked up at him with dark, glaring eyes. "You're insane." She did, however, allow him to help her to her feet, as her ankles shook in her black heels. "I don't know what you thought coming here...just, whatever you think is going to happen isn't."

"Maryse-"

"I have a boyfriend, Ted." She told him. "And I have a life and yeah, sure tonight was fun but I can't have you spoiling everything. I've got a plan and if you ruin that plan then I..." Her voice trailed off. "If you spoil the plan, I don't have a backup plan. This _is_ the backup plan."

Deciding to call it a day, Ted walked over to his wallet which sat in the windowsill and pulled out his wallet. "Do you accept cheques?"

"Sure," She sighed, folding her arms across her chest and watching as Ted scribbled into his cheque book. "If you call the agency, please don't ask for me. There's a bunch of girls; find someone else." And those were her last words before she strutted out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Ted sat down in the windowsill where Cody and Nattie had been, but he wasn't thinking about how beautiful the city was; he was thinking of how beautiful Maryse was. And how he had no intentions of giving up on her.

* * *

Ooohhhhh :)  
Please leave a **review**! Xx


	7. Sky High Problems

Thanks to _rkofan2012, Team McOrton, xAracnaex_ and x_sostarstruck_ for reviewing the last chapter :)  
I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter but I think that's just because I updated a lot quicker this time!  
This chapter's more...leading into the next one. It's not big drama until the end.  
Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**SKY HIGH PROBLEMS**

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"Honey, I'm home!" Cody called as he came in the front door holding a grocery bag. "And I come bearing gifts."

With a towel wrapped around her wet hair and a bathrobe covering her just-showered body, Natalya came into the kitchen and silently began rifling through the brown paper bags.

"Hello to you too." Cody grinned, pulling a beer out of one of the bags and cracking it open. "Why so tense?"

"Mike's just moved into a new apartment and he's having a housewarming party tonight." Natalya triumphantly pulled out a bottle of red wine. "Jackpot. We need something to take over."

"I think he'll probably have enough alcohol on hand."

"Well, we don't exactly have any potted plants or blenders lying around as a 'Welcome to your new home' gesture." She pulled her hair out of the towel and began drying it. "The party's at eight thirty so you ought to start getting ready."

"You know, when the three of us moved in together, I had no idea you'd turn into my mother."

"Please, someone needs to keep you in order."

"Where's Ted?"

"Getting ready in his room, like the good son he is." Natalya joked.

To say the trio had fallen in love with New York City would be an understatement. Four months had passed since their arrival and they were now permanent fixtures. Ted had planned to move there anyway but Natalya and Cody, who only planned to stay for a couple of weeks, ended up joining their friend and going three ways on a three bedroom place with him.

All three had managed to find job to pay the rent. Sure, Ted hated his job at Layman and Sons in Clinton but when a top New York branch wanted to hire him at a hefty price, he was quick to return to finance. Plus, it was part time so he wouldn't be at his desk until the early hours of the morning. Cody, not wanting to return to an office desk, went in a completely different direction and got a job as a barman at a nearby sports bar and Natalya found work as a personal trainer at a city gym.

They'd even managed to make friends. Obviously Cody – after quickly ending things with Kelly – developed a schoolboy crush on Michelle but through work and play, the trio had established a steady group of friends. So steady they were being invited to Mike Mizanin's house warming party.

"Ted?" Natalya tapped on the door and without waiting for a response, made her way inside.

"What's up?" He looked up from the small TV which sat on the dresser. "May I say, Miss Neidhart, you are looking absolutely knockout tonight."

She shot him a sarcastic smile. "Funny."

"Actually, I was being serious."

"Oh," She blushed. "Well, thank you."

"Any time."

"So are you all ready for tonight?" She asked, smoothing out the fluffy fabric of her black jumper dress.

"Should be a good night," Ted commented.

"Maybe there'll be some girls there-"

The look Ted shot her showed that was the last thing on his mind.

Natalya softened, resting her hand on his muscular upper arm. "You never told me what happened with Maryse that night."

The look Ted shot her showed he had no intention of sharing.

"Okay," Natalya nodded, walking over to Ted's window and staring out at the tall, illuminated buildings. "This is why I decided to stay here." Her eyes glazed over at the beauty of the city before she looked back at Ted. "You can't tell me there's anywhere more beautiful than New York."

"There sure isn't." Ted agreed. Yeah, it was nice but all he could think of was that somewhere in amongst the madness was Maryse Ouellet.

* * *

"He lives in the penthouse," Natalya rolled her eyes as they rode the elevator up to Mike's apartment. "Of course he lives in the penthouse."

"Jealous?" Cody grinned.

"That my dad isn't a self-made millionaire real estate tycoon so I don't have to work a day in my life? Yes, Cody, I'm green with envy."

"You've gotta admit, this is a pretty sweet place." Ted pointed out the Hudson River through the glass walls of the elevator. "Views of the city for miles."

"His daddy certainly knows real estate." Natalya agreed as the elevator doors opened and the apartment appeared before them.

It was exactly how you'd expect a flashy New York penthouse apartment to look; lots of monochrome interior, leather couches with well-fluffed cushions, pretentious modern artwork on the walls and one wall made entirely of glass, showing off the city below. Definitely not one for those with a fear of heights.

"Hey! Glad you guys could come."

Much like the apartment itself, Mike Mizanin – or Miz, as his friends called him – was your typical trust fund brat. He hadn't worked a day in his life, instead he just enjoyed the millions his father and the corporate drones he worked with produced. Mike himself was an attractive – luckily he inherited his model mother's looks and not his fathers. An athlete physique, attractive face and perfectly-gelled hair; it was no wonder the beautiful debutantes of New York had graced the bedroom of Mike Mizanin.

"Thank you for inviting us," Natalya stifled a cringe as Mike kissed her hand. "We brought wine."

"Thanks, I'll put it in the cooler," He responded, exchanging manly handshake-backslaps with Ted and Cody. "Make yourselves at home, get some drinks, mingle, you know everyone, right?" Before they could answer, he'd disappeared off to greet a couple of beauties that had just entered.

"I'm thinking drinks," Ted said decisively. "Cody? Nattie?"

"Beer."

"See if you can get me some of that wine we brought," Natalya lowered her voice, "It looked good."

Ted grinned, disappearing through a crowd of people into Mike's pristine kitchen and thinking how the downstairs of his house could fit into this kitchen. Did Mike honestly know _everyone_ here? His apartment was packed to the brim, filled with chatting people. Ted knew a couple of Mike's friends; there was John Morrison, his wingman and best bud, and there were the other guys Jake Hager and Nic Nemeth and the girls Tiffany and Alicia, but he couldn't see any of them.

"I don't believe we've met," Turning around, Ted was greeted by a beautiful Latina with long, dark blonde hair and shiny red lips that matched her dress. "Rosa Mendes,"

"Ted DiBiase. Do you know where I can get some drinks for my friends and I?"

"Through here," Rosa led Ted through to a separate room altogether which looked more like a brewery than a cooler. "So Ted DiBiase, why haven't I seen you around here before?"

"I just moved to New York a couple of months ago," He replied absentmindedly, grabbing the two nearest bottles of beer.

"Alone?" She positioned herself on one of the kegs.

"With friends."

"No girlfriend?"

"We broke up right before I moved." Ted knew Rosa was flirting with him but he wasn't interested. She may have been beautiful but his mind was on another woman.

"So you're single?"

Ted opened his mouth to answer, but the door burst open and in came Mike, clutching a couple of bottles of wine in his hands. The host had an amused smirk on his face as he saw Rosa and Ted together. "Rosa, why don't you give Ted and I a moment? I'll get him to come find you when we're done."

With a smile, Rosa hopped off the keg and made her way back into the party.

"Dude," Mike nudged Ted, "Nice choice, Rosa's hot. Although if you were gonna bang her, I'd at least expect you to use one of the bedrooms and not my cellar."

"I'm not going to bang Rosa."

"Why? She's smoking."

"Then you have sex with her." Ted laughed.

"Can't, I'm a one woman-man and I've already got the hottest girlfriend in New York." Mike said proudly, picking up a bottle of beer for himself.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"I do. Wanna meet her?"

Ted followed Mike out of the cellar and into the main living area, as the pair weaved their way through hoards of people until Mike set his eyes on the back of a blonde. From behind, she had long blonde curls that fell down her back and covered the tight tan-coloured dress she was wearing. Throwing back her head with laughter, Mike's girlfriend's blonde curls tossed around.

"Hey baby," Mike wrapped his arms around her waist and Ted heard her laugh a familiar laugh. "I'd like you to meet someone."

_One that was halfway between a giggle and a chuckle. _

"Ted, this is my girlfriend, Maryse."

The blonde spun around on her heel and looked coolly at an open-mouthed Ted. "Pleasure to meet you...Ted, was it?"

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	8. I Am What I Am

Thank you to _rkofan2012, xAracnaex, xsostarstruck, Team McOrton_ and _RKOMizfit _for reviewing. You guys = awesomeness :)  
Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

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**I AM WHAT I AM **

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"What're you doing here?"

Whilst Ted was practically freaking out, Maryse stood calmly, sipping at a glass of champagne with an amused smile on her face. In some ways, Ted was ecstatic to see her again – that had been what he wanted – but as Mike's girlfriend? He certainly didn't expect that; small world was a very big understatement.

"Obviously you don't listen very well," Maryse tapped one of her ears, the innocence still etched on her face as she and Ted found a quiet corner of the room to talk in. "I'm Mike's girlfriend."

"Yeah, I got that," He rubbed at his temples and looked back at her. "I'm just a little shocked because you didn't mention-"

"Well, it's not a part of my job description to inform my clients of anything personal in my life." She cleared her throat slightly with a polite cough. "Which, for some reason, I decided to do with you."

"Nice to know I have a positive effect on you." Offering up some sort of smile, Ted placed his beer down on a nearby table and sighed. "Your 'gorgeous apartment in the West Village' isn't by any chance courtesy of your boyfriend, is it?"

"I can pay for my own stuff, y'know." She pointed out, huffily. "Although the apartment itself was a present."

"Did you get promoted at work?" A grin spread across his lips.

"Fuck off, Ted. I don't have time for this."

Maryse went to leave but as she did, Ted's arm stretched out and he wrapped his hand around her upper arm, her soft skin warm under his fingertips. Slowly turning her head to look at him, Maryse raised an eyebrow. "Like I said, I don't have time for this-"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, even when you're not working, do people _still_ have to pay to spend time with you?"

"Pettiness isn't going to win you any favours. Is this because you're jealous of Mike and me?"

"I think the real question is, does Mike know about your...source of income?"

"There are certain things I choose to keep from him," Maryse said carefully, lacing her fingers together as she chose her words. "It's still early in our relationship, we've only been dating for a month or so. And besides, I don't have to justify myself to you."

"Maybe you do." Ted shrugged innocently. "What if I accidentally let slip that you and I met before? What if I ask something simple like...what you do for a living? If you don't justify yourself, how do I know what's off limits?"

There was a frosty glance shot in Ted's direction as Maryse realised he knew way too much for his own good. "He thinks I'm a freelance fashion journalist." She said quietly. "That way, I don't have to worry about him looking out for any of my...work. Other than that, I keep nothing from him."

Ted couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could they build a relationship on such a lack of honesty? Mike wasn't a bad guy and for him to not realise his girlfriend was lying to him about such a big thing? If Ted was in Mike's shoes, he'd want to know the truth.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?"

"Are you asking me not to?" Ted was in the driver's seat and enjoying every moment of it.

"Don't tell him." She looked down and saw Ted's hand was still on her arm, forcing her to glare at him until he let go. "Please. It's my responsibility to tell him and I will in my own time."

"And how long is 'in your own time' going to be?"

Her desperation quickly turned into anger as her pout twisted into a scowl. "You're testing my patience, Ted." The empty champagne glass in her hand was raised with a satisfied smile. "I need a refill." With one final glare, she went to leave but with another grab of her arm, they were back where they started.

"Don't worry," Letting go of her arm, he watched as it hung limply by her side. "I won't tell Mike."

Looking at him for a moment, Maryse gritted her teeth together, as if she was angry with him. Then, completely catching Ted off guard, she reached out a hand and pinched one of his cheeks.

"Bitch," Ted muttered.

* * *

"...so I finished college with my degree thanks to my football scholarship and now I'm..."

Natalya found herself drifting in and out of what Alex Riley was saying to her. It wasn't that Mike's younger cousin was a bad guy, just an...annoying one. Was this really what her love life had come to? Twenty eight and relying on friends setting her up with 'guys she'd love'; it sucked. Back in Mississippi, she remembered looking at Ted and Mickie, thinking how perfect their relationship seemed and wondering why he wasn't satisfied. He had it all; a great job, good friends, a wonderful girlfriend.

So why wasn't he happy? Looking across the room, she realised why.

Maryse Ouellet.

This woman was absolutely perfect in every way. Beautiful, charming; full of spirit; the kind of girl other women longed to be like. It was no wonder Ted was head over heels for her. And Natalya just wanted Maryse to feel the same way about him.

"...and I tell this guy that I'm not interested in the job offer unless we're going..."

"Will you excuse me?" After draining the contents of her wine glass, Natalya thrust it into Alex's hand and headed towards Maryse.

It was as if there was a spotlight on Maryse. Or she was the sun with the whole room revolving around her. A group of girls that were once flocking to be Mike's 'flavour of the night' were now surrounding his girlfriend, longing for beauty tips.

"It's a simple hair mask. Just add a splash of olive oil and a dash of lemon juice to the mixture and you've got it-" Upon seeing the new arrival to her following, Maryse's mouth hovered open but no words came out. "Could one of you girls refresh my glass?" She shot a demure smile. "Cristal only, thank you very much."

Obviously horrified at the idea of a dehydrated Maryse, all the girls deported to the cellar, jostling to get there first.

"Finally, I couldn't get rid of them fast enough." Maryse watched Natalya with careful eyes. She'd seen her before but couldn't picture where. It was all too misty. "I'm Maryse, Mike's girlfriend."

"Natalya, Mike's friend."

Maryse nodded, her eyes now scanning her head-to-toe. "Cute outfit. Where's it from?"

Natalya blushed, suddenly self-conscious of the fact she was wearing a black jumper dress from the Target sale. "It's vintage." Why the hell was she lying? More importantly, why was she lying to a prostitute? Surely Maryse had experienced worse conditions than the Target preseason sales.

"We need to get out of here before those girls come back," Maryse thought aloud. "Come to the bathroom with me."

"Like junior high."

"But with Cristal and Louboutins."

The two women quickly walked to the sizeable bathroom, locking the door behind them. After breathing a small sigh of relief, Maryse began fishing in her purse until she pulled out a tube of mascara and a tub of powder. "Make-up, my best friend."

It was definitely difficult for Natalya to accept that Maryse had the job she did. There was something so sordid about that profession and although prostitution wasn't Natalya's speciality, she just couldn't see Maryse doing it. This girl was classy and polite, with a demurely girlish quality. When she spoke to you, her eyes were warm and her voice engaging and there was something so wonderfully honest about her.

Then Natalya remembered seeing her at The Dollhouse and it took all she could to look at Maryse with fresh eyes.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Natalya said eventually. "So how'd you and Mike meet?"

"Just through friends. My friend's boyfriend is friends with Mike so they put us together. I'm a lucky girl." Maryse's freshly glossed lips upturned at the corners. "What about you? Any men in your life?"

_Jackpot._ "Just my roommates, Cody and Ted."

Maryse didn't even flinch. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, they're here tonight actually. You might've seen them. Cody's a bit of an ass but Ted's a real sweet guy. A total gentleman."

"Right,"

"I mean, he's single now and I'm sure all the girls in New York are-"

"You were there that night at The Dollhouse." A light bulb went off in Maryse's head and she began putting her make-up back into her bag, worry etched onto her face. "You saw me...you know everyth-did Ted tell you about me? You know about me, don't you?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Maryse-"

"You're damn right you're not going to!" Maryse snapped, picking up her stuff and flouncing out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. It didn't take her long to find Mike but unfortunately, he was stood with the last person Maryse wanted to see.

"Hey gorgeous," Mike wrapped an arm around Maryse's waist so they were hip-to-hip. "You okay?"

"Actually, I'm getting a bit of a migraine so I think I'm gonna head home." Maryse could feel Ted's eyes burning into her, making the hairs on her neck stand up. "Too much champagne on an empty stomach or something. I just need a bottle of Evian and a good night sleep."

"Well, d'you want me to call you a cab?"

"No, no, you're hosting. I couldn't tear you away from your guests-"

"I could call you a cab." Ted suggested.

"No, no-"

"That'd be great, Ted." Mike slapped Ted on the back before kissing Maryse briefly on the lips. "Feel better tomorrow, baby. I'll call you in the morning."

Once Mike disappeared into the crowd, Maryse and Ted were alone.

"Don't call me a cab, I can get myself one."

She walked towards the elevator and got inside but Ted slipped in next to her. "Just hear me out, Maryse-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" At the exact moment the elevator plunged down, she shoved him with surprising strength, sending him toppling backwards. "I don't want you to be a part of my life. What happened with us was just business. A onetime thing. So why are you showing up everywhere I look? What don't you understand? I have a boyfriend and a plan, stop trying to interfere with that! I wish you'd never come into my life in the first place!"

She was yelling now, and as the elevator touched down on the ground floor, Maryse found herself storming away from a confrontation for the second time in about ten minutes. She was so quick that Ted didn't even have the opportunity to grab her arm.

The cold New York night hit her and made her realise she'd left her coat at Mike's in her worried frenzy. Goosebumps pricked up on her arms, legs and the back of her neck, her long blonde her only source of warmth.

Then the rain hit.

Tiny droplets of water fell onto her, chilling her with each individual landing until her whole body shook at the low temperature. Only her face felt hot, as her teardrops were only distinctive from the rain by their warm saltiness, dripping down onto her lips.

Everything was crumbling around her.

As she felt her legs buckle beneath her and her weight hit the concrete of the sidewalk, a familiar array of symptoms emerged, ones she tried to get rid of every day of her life. Her vision clouded over, her head began to swim and her ears buzzed, as if someone had her head pressed under water. Her throat began to close up as tiny wheezes escaped her salty lips. Desperately, she searched her bag for the medication and when she found it, she swallowed pill after pill until everything numbed and the pain faded away.

If only life were that easy.

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Please **review** :)


	9. Let It Rain

Thanks to _JessicaHardy, rkofan2012, miss sophie rhodes.x, xAracnaex, Team McOrton, xsostarstruck, Kyahbell _and_ Glamagirl _for reviewing!  
I get great feedback for this story and it only encourages me to write more, add more chapters etc...  
Hope you enjoy :)

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**LET IT RAIN**

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Vince McMahon was a businessman through and through. The CEO of VKM Harlow Banks, everyone in the New York banking division knew of Mr McMahon. Even back in Mississippi, people at Ted's work spoke of Vince and his maverick ways. Strategies aside, he made money and lots of it. When he was in his hometown, Ted never imagined he'd be working under McMahon and oddly enough, he was beginning to warm to him.

He was one of those bosses that if you were on his good side, he liked you and wanted you to succeed. If you pissed him off, it would be the end of your banking career. But luckily for Ted, Vince liked him.

"DiBiase!" Vince hollered across the conferences room, before strutting towards him. "Glad you could come along tonight."

"It's my pleasure." He replied, shaking the boss' hand. The monthly staff meetings at the Plaza conference rooms were a bore but vital for Ted to make good impressions on the boss and good connections with potential new clients. "What did you think of this month's stats?"

"Steadily improving," Vince nodded, champagne glass in hand. "At this rate, we could achieve our highest client recruitment in almost a decade."

"That's excellent progress."

"And I like to think you're a big part of that, DiBiase. Your contributions to the finance sector have been noted. Expect a high role in future projects."

If this were a job Ted loved, something like that would've been elating but he just couldn't be enthusiastic about finance. It always had been and always would be football; the impossible dream.

As a child, he and his brothers would spend many a Sunday after church in the local park, throwing the pigskin around. Even as back then, people would tell Ted DiBiase senior that his son had a real talent and the potential to be a future quarterback. He even went to college on a football scholarship, with the hope of getting his finance degree but never actually using it, instead going all the way to the Superbowl. Unfortunately, all it took was one fall and one torn Achilles tendon to shatter his plan. Football was his only ambition, not figures, money and databases.

"That means a lot sir," He lied through his teeth. Vince continued to chat aimlessly, as he took his Blackberry out of his jacket pocket and began scrolling with fast fingers. "More business?"

"Actually, my son Shane's just arrived. He's the head of the Los Angeles office and he's in town for a couple of weeks. Also, he's bringing his new girlfriend."

"Have you met her before?"

Vince shook his head. "No, it's a fairly recent affair." And right on cue, the doors of the conferences room opened and Shane McMahon entered.

The heir to the McMahon fortune wasn't anything new for Ted, who'd seen his photo in company newsletters and other documents. In his late thirties, slightly greying hair, never without a suit; very much a younger version of his father in both business and appearances, but when Shane entered, Ted wasn't looking at him.

Shane made a beeline for his father, who was still stood with Ted. "Great to see you again, Dad." He turned to Ted and extended a hand. "I don't think we've met. Shane McMahon."

"Ted DiBiase." His eyes still weren't on Shane.

"Ah, one of my father's new recruits. Great to meet you."

"And who is this lovely lady?" Vince signalled to the beautiful blonde hanging off of Shane's arm.

"Yes, this is a very good friend of mine, Helen." Interesting, seeing as _Helen _was very much Maryse Ouellet. "We met a couple of weeks ago. She's in advertising and has been very involved in our multinational campaign."

Whilst Ted tried to put the pieces together in his head, father and son continued to chat business until Vince turned his head. "Ted, maybe you could go to the bar with Helen and get her a drink?"

"Absolutely," Ted grinned. "Come on, _Helen_." Maryse practically stomped over to the bar, closely following Ted with her head hung in shame. "What're you having, _Helen?"_

"I'm not sleeping with Shane!" Maryse blurted out. "I mean, when it comes to Shane, I'm only an escort as opposed to...you know."

Ted asked the barman for a glass of champagne for the lady. "So, how did this happen?"

Maryse sighed, as if to say 'It's none of your business but she was in too vulnerable a position to do so. "Vince McMahon is very disapproving of Shane's taste in women, so when he comes back to New York, it's easier for him to just...come along to the agency and find a piece of arm candy for the night."

"Can't he just...find a nice girl in LA?"

"It's not my job to pry on his personal life." She shrugged, sipping from her glass. "Normally, I'd blame you for following me, but I can't do that now really, can I?"

"You certainly can't." It was hard to be rude to her when she looked so beautiful, which honestly, she always did. "You look lovely this evening, by the way."

"That's very sweet of you. And I guess I could say that you look very handsome in a suit."

"Was that a compliment, Miss Ouellet?"

"It may well have been."

A half smile played on Maryse's lips; was she softening to Ted? And if so, why? This guy had come into her life and he had the ability to change everything in it. The cold, hard barriers she'd put up were tumbling down and she was letting someone in that shouldn't have come in. Deep down, there was something about Ted that was off limits and she liked it. Normally, she had a type; rich and arrogant, which Ted certainly wasn't. Maryse knew if you veered away from your type, you were in dangerous territory.

So she snapped back to reality and with a cheeky smile, she said, "I'd better get back to my boyfriend." She went to walk away, but after just a couple of steps, she spun around to face Ted again.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You know the things I tell you are to be kept secret, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed for Shane once more.

This was torture for Ted. Did she even realise the effect she had on him? As she went about her life seemingly without even thinking of him, this was apparently not the case. Now, it was so much more than just some fantasy he had; she was his whole life and he had no idea how to change it. She had him trapped.

From the bar, Ted drank his beer, the alcohol deadening his senses. At first, he got a rush from the chase of their relationship, but now? It wasn't worth it anymore. It was too much heartache for him. He didn't want to hear Maryse's purring voice, smell her perfume or see her beautiful face.

Something he found very difficult as across the room, she engaged in a long lip lock with his boss' son.

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It took a lot of alcohol to get Ted drunk. Some guys could down beer after beer and feeling nothing and normally, Ted was one of those guys. But as he felt himself being practically pulled into _The Dollhouse_ by some crazy force, he knew he'd overdone it.

When the meeting ended, the guys from the office invited him out for more drinks, meaning shot after shot and a spliff or two in-between. There were beers too but Ted found it difficult to recall everything. Eventually, he managed to get away from the guys and began to walk the rainy streets alone towards his house. Along the way however, something caught him.

Entering _The Dollhouse_, a wave of sultry music and low lighting hit him, relaxing his already down state. He felt himself sway, grabbing the nearest thing to him, which happened to be one of the bar staff.

"Easy there," The brunette laughed, holding him upright. "I'm not one of those girls. You've gotta pay for them."

"It's alright, Lay, I got this." Michelle came out from behind the bar and looked Ted up and down curiously. "What're you doing here, Ted?"

"I need a beer." His words were slurred as he managed to slip onto one of the stools. "Yeah, a beer."

"I think you've had enough to drink by the looks of things." She winced, resuming her job of polishing glasses. "Maybe you should go home."

"Do _you_ want me to go home?"

With a raised eyebrow, Michelle poured a glass of water and pushed it across the bar. "Please, drink this."

"I'm not thirsty."

"You want a beer a second ago."

Neither of them said anything to each other as Michelle served some of the other guys drinks, giving both Ted and Michelle a chance to plan their next move. When she returned, he said, "Is Maryse here?"

"In the back with someone."

"Sleeping with them?"

"No, just a dance," Michelle blushed slightly. "Lapdances and stuff."

With only a moment's hesitation, Ted said, "I want a dance."

"A dance?" She laughed. "Ted, are you serious?" His expression stayed blank and glassy eyed. "Come on, you've clearly drank too much. You're not thinking clearly. Go home and get some sleep."

"I don't want to go home-"

"Please go home, Ted. If Cody knew I were letting you do this-"

"Well, Cody's not hear right now, is he?" If Ted weren't so numb, he might've felt some remorse for shouting at Michelle. "Ignore any relations we have and please do your job and go get Maryse."

After a look of disdain, Michelle disappeared into one of the backrooms, only to appear a couple of minutes later with a frown on her face. "Go through that door down there then it's the first door on your left."

Powering ahead down the hall, as much as one could power with a spinning head, Ted entered the small room and found himself surprised at how simple it was; dimly lit with little more than a black leather couch and a large screen, which so clearly revealed Maryse's silhouette.

"It's cash up front, please." She came out but didn't make eye contact, instead counting a stack of bills. "For an hour, it's-"

"What will five dollars and half a bottle of scotch get me?" Ted asked cheekily.

"A kick in the nuts." This caused Maryse to finally look up, her facial expression becoming one of horror and disbelief. "What the fuck are you doing here, DiBiase?"

"Just come to see my _good friend_ Maryse." His grin only widened. "Something wrong with that?"

"Are you drunk?" She leaned forward and sniffed Ted's breath. "Oh my God, you reek. You must be wasted."

"You know, the last time we were this close, I gave you what was probably the best sex of your life." Ted smirked cockily.

His face moved towards Maryse's but she used a single hand to push him back. "Fuck off, Ted. I'm working."

"That's why I'm here." He pulled his wallet out of his jacket pocket. "I want a dance from you. Right here, right now."

"Stop wasting my time."

"You need to chill out, baby. Just think of me as-" He pulled a dollar out of the wallet and slipped it into Maryse's black garter. "-a client."

Maryse's lips turned into a smile, as if she were amused by what Ted just said. Slowly, she pulled the bill out of her garter and placed it down her bra, aware Ted's eyes were following her every movement. She sashayed her hips with the music and lowered herself onto his lap. "The next time you'll be getting a dance from me-" Her lips glided over his ear, the gloss staining his lobe. "-is when I'm jiving on your grave." She stood up and grabbed a black silk robe that was draped over the screen. "Now get out."

"Are you kidding me?" Ted laughed, following her behind the screen to a tiny makeshift dressing room.

"Either you walk out or you're carried out by security. Your choice."

"Or I could just call your boss-"

"Ha!" Maryse scoffed into her mirror, where she was reapplying her make-up. "Who's he going to side with? His most treasured employee or some drunken bastard and his crappy accusations? You don't need to be sober to work that out!"

"Wow, someone's been on their bitch pills again!" He signalled at the small pot of medication on the dressing table, which Maryse quickly thrust into one of the drawers. Leaning down so he was face to face with her, he said, "Now either you're going to give me a dance or I'm going to-"

Ted didn't finish as there was a short yet sharp slap delivered to his right cheek, a sign of Maryse's fury. "I'm not going to dance for you. How long is it going to take for you to realise that you're not welcome in my life?"

"I came in here looking for-"

"A dance. Yeah, I get it, you want a dance." Maryse shook her head and pressed a couple of buttons on the telephone on her desk. "I can't deal with this. Security is on their way." Getting to her feet, Maryse looked Ted up and down. "Y'know, when I was with Shane earlier today and I saw you, I thought you were a nice guy. I thought you were a nice, genuine guy that was different from the type I usually found myself falling for. But I was so, so wrong. You're nothing but a low-life, chauvinist-"

No more words were said, as the security guards entered and the loud shouts of Ted's protests echoed around the room until after much resistance, he was finally escorted out and thrown out the back door. And then the rain fell. Cooling his head and dripping down his face, it woke him up from what just happened, each drop colder than the last.

Not quite as cold, however, as the feeling inside.

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The next chapter will be much more Maryse-centered, so you'll find out a lot about the woman herself.  
But I hope you enjoyed _this_ chapter and please leave a **review**!


	10. Ignorance

Thank you to _keepthefaithx, Glamagirl, Team McOrton, xsostarstruck, rkofan2012, xAracnaex _and _BigRedMachineUK_ for reviewing the last chapter :)  
Hope you enjoy this Maryse-centered chapter.

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**IGNORANCE**

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Sitting on the edge of the bed in the doctor's office, a small scratch began to form in the back of Maryse's throat, eliciting a small cough from the blonde beauty. "Would you like a drink, Maryse?"

Dr Charles Underwood turned around from his computer. Having been her doctor for almost six years, Charles knew exactly how Maryse's body worked and what it needed at every moment.

She dug into her handbag and pulled out her small stash of pills and her water bottle. "I'm like this all the time at the moment." She wheezed her words before throwing back a couple of the pills along with a mouthful of water. "Perhaps these aren't strong enough anymore. Am I in line for a new prescription?"

Charles opened his mouth to speak but didn't know quite how to come out with the words. "Why don't you sit down here?" He patted the chair opposite him, and Maryse obliged. "I know it's going to be annoying but can you recall the symptoms you've been putting up with?"

"It starts with my throat," Maryse said, steadily and calmly. "It feels like it's closing up and the air stops travelling there. From there, everything gets a little worse. My head...it feels like I'm underwater or something and my eyes go cloudy. Sometimes my legs buckle underneath me but once I've taken a couple of pills, everything...goes back to normal."

"And how often does this happen?"

There was that catch in her throat again. "It used to be every week, sometimes every two."

"And now?"

Maryse coughed, clearing the irritation. "Every day." Her voice went soft. The sudden stress made her head feel heavy on her neck. "It's not good news, is it?"

"You've been coming to me once a month for almost six years," Charlie began, agitatedly tapping his pen against the wooden desk. It was such a distraction that Maryse wanted to throw it out of the nearest window. Luckily, once Charles saw the death stare she was shooting him, he placed the pen down and clasped his hands together. "I thought perhaps we were making progress but as you can see, the drugs aren't working therefore it appears we've...hit a wall."

'We've hit a wall'. Maryse hated that expression. Perhaps her doctor had hit a medical wall but Maryse could feel herself speeding down a very dark tunnel in a car with no breaks. The catch in her throat was growing by the second into a large lump. "Do you know how much time I have left?"

Charles nodded. "Do _you_ want to know?"

"_Do_ I want to know?"

"Probably not."

"Then don't tell me." Either she could live the rest of her short life in fear, counting the days or spend it in ignorance. And wasn't ignorance supposed to be bliss?

Except for she wasn't in complete ignorance. She'd been ill for six years and the effects were starting to show; her bathroom cabinets were filled with medication, her hair was shedding and she was physically much weaker. Being ill was affecting every aspect of her life. What kind of life was she living? This was no life, it was a meagre excuse for one. Soon enough, her body would reject the pills until she was nothing more than another body in a hospital morgue. To say she was scared was an understatement.

"Well, thank you, I guess." Maryse picked up her handbag and slipped on her jacket. "I have to get to work."

"Ah yes, _The Dollhouse_." Just because Charles Underwood was a doctor, didn't mean he didn't have a few shady secrets up his sleeve. "Actually, I wanted to know if you were free tonight."

"I can't do any time after nine." She said from the doorway. "How's seven for you?"

Flipping through his _Filofax_ then snapping it shut, Charles suggested, "My hotel room?" Maryse nodded in confirmation. "I'll bring my chequebook."

In fact, Maryse found it to be the men that seemed the cleanest that actually had the dirtiest secrets of all.

Once she was out of the surgery and on the sidewalk, the blonde held out an arm, waiting for a taxi to stop next to her. In the past it was her beauty that had got her many a taxi and that day was no exception. She occasionally wondered how her beauty had not been affected by the illness.

Getting into the backseat of the first cab to pull up, Maryse directed the driver a couple of blocks from _The Dollhouse_ – after all, being dropped at the door wasn't exactly a discrete way to cover her profession. Throughout the journey, it was impossible for her to ignore the driver constantly staring at her in the mirror. In some ways, she wasn't surprised. Catching a man's attention wasn't a rarity.

"Have I seen you before somewhere?" Reaching a red light, he turned around to speak to Maryse.

_Of course you have. You came into The Dollhouse three days ago and I even gave you a private dance. You were too busy staring at my tits and ass to even register my face, much like all the other jackasses that get their kicks in there. _

"No, I don't think so." The blonde shook her head. She was used to the lingering '_Have I seen her before?'_ glances. Outside the club, how were they to know she was a stripper? In skinny jeans, a grey sweater and black jacket, she could've been anyone.

"You just seem really familiar." He carried on, turning back around to drive.

"I think I go in this cab a couple of days ago?" Maryse shrugged innocently, keeping up the charade until she paid the driver and got out. She quickly walked the short distance to the back door of _The Dollhouse_ and let herself in, making her way straight to the large dressing room the strippers shared.

"Hello Maryse,"

"Good afternoon, Maria," Maryse greeted the beautiful redhead sat in front of the mirror, curling her hair. Just like Maryse, Maria had come to New York a dreamer. With little more than a suitcase and a guitar, the Chicago native had dreams of being a famous singer. In _The Dollhouse_, however, no-one cared what her voice sounded like, as long as she looked good. Although she kept a strong front and never admitted it, Maryse could tell Maria was dying inside.

"Kevin's looking for you," Maria informed, not taking her eyes away from her reflection. Normally Maria was friendly but today she seemed distracted. "You have to go see him ASAP."

"Did he say what it was about?" Maryse removed her jacket and placed her bag down.

Maria shook her head. "He just said it was urgent."

Leaving the redhead in peace once again, Maryse walked across to Kevin Nash's office, wondering what her boss wanted. "Kevin?" She tapped on the door. "It's Maryse."

"Come in," He called.

"You wanted to see me?" She entered the small office and sat in the seat opposite him.

"Yes, yes." He turned away to slip a cassette into the VCR and on the small television set next to him appeared CCTV footage from two weeks ago when Ted had shown up at _The Dollhouse_. "Do you remember this?"

"Yes."

"Can you explain to me what's going on?"

"He was completely wasted." Maryse defended instantly. "He was being extremely disrespectful and saying lots of personal stuff-"

"You know this guy?"

_Damn._ "Yes."

"So he pissed you off and in response, you hit him?"

"In hindsight, it probably wasn't the wisest thing to do." Maryse winced as her slapping Ted replayed on the screen. "But I was-"

"Maryse, you know we have a strict no violence policy here." Kevin lectured, turning off the television. "That's why we have security to deal with situations like this."

"I _did_ call security-"

"But you called them too late." Kevin sighed, resting his chin against his hand. "You know I can't just let this slide."

"You're firing me?" This day just got better and better, Maryse thought.

"I couldn't fire my best employee." Despite the fact the office door was closed, Kevin lowered his voice. "Some of the girls aren't too happy about what happened and they think because your my 'favourite' you'll get away with it. I've fired girls in the past because of this and they don't think that'll happen to you. Consider it...extended leave. Just until this whole situation has blown over."

So that was why Maria wasn't her usual self; she was annoyed because she felt Maryse was getting special treatment. "So what happens to my clients? And my pay?"

"Your clients will be sorted out amongst the other girls but unfortunately, this leave will be unpaid."

Maryse may not have liked it but she understood. Kevin Nash was a business man through and through and paying Maryse whilst she wasn't working wasn't business-smart. If anything, paying her whilst she was on leave was a reward.

"I'll be in touch, Maryse." Kevin winked. Of course he would, he was her nine o clock.

* * *

It was about eleven when Maryse left Kevin's hotel suite and arrived back at her apartment. On the way home, she begged the cab driver to stop at her local store so she could pick up some essentials. All she wanted to do was spend the evening in her bathtub, listening to Norah Jones and drinking her way through a bottle of rosé and eating the truffles she'd received months ago from her mother for her birthday.

Her job was surprisingly – or unsurprisingly, depending on your view – tiring and most nights, she found herself falling asleep on the cab ride home. Obviously, her exhaustion stemmed from her illness too and in all honesty, she knew she probably shouldn't have been working at all, but being alone in New York without employment wasn't going to provide her with the financial stability she needed.

Placing her key in the lock of the main door, Maryse went inside and took the elevator up to her third floor apartment, her pride and joy. The spacious two bedroom and one bath apartment may have been a present from Mike, but all of the decorating was a product of six years in a game she despised. It was decked out with classy monochrome interior, with sky-high windows and killer views of the West Village. Everytime she arrived home, she did so with a smile.

But as soon as she opened the door, her smile was one of confusion, as Mike was sat on her couch.

"Mike," Maryse masked her surprise with a smile as she approached her boyfriend with a kiss on the lips. "What're you doing here?"

"I was in the area so I thought I'd stop by," He responded casually. "Your doorman let me in."

"Well, do you want something to drink? I was going to open a bottle of rosé but that's probably a little girly for you. Did you want a beer?"

"I'm not thirsty but you can open whatever you want." Mike followed his girlfriend into the kitchen and sat down on one of the barstools. "So how was your day?"

"Not bad." Maryse poured herself a glass and stood across the bar from Mike. "I had a couple of articles to finish up but other than that, it's been very uneventful. What about you?"

"So-so," He shrugged. "Except for one...discovery."

"Oh?"

"Quick question, why did I see you leaving the Gramercy Hotel with a guy on my way here?"

The mood in the room quickly froze over, leaving Maryse unable to do anything except sip from her glass tentatively. He'd seen her with Charles. How was she supposed to explain herself? She had two choices; come clean about everything or lie. Remembering a slightly skewed moral her mother taught her, she decided sometimes it was better to lie if the truth was just going to hurt someone.

"And please," Mike added, "Cut the bullshit. I don't want excuses."

"I didn't want you to find out this way." Maryse began. "I wanted to tell you myself but...well, it's too late now, isn't it? I've been...seeing someone behind your back."

"For how long?"

"A couple of months." The lies flowed seamlessly.

"I just...I don't get it." Mike got to his feet, shaking his head. "What does this guy have that I don't? And I saw him, so please don't tell me it's purely physical."

"You're right, it's not physical. It's about money." Better she came across as a gold digger than a lying prostitute. "Clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery; he buys me stuff-"

"So he has money! I have money! This apartment was a freaking present from me!" He grabbed one of her slender wrists and shook it. "This Rolex you're wearing? That was me. The membership to the Plaza spa? Me. The Chanel bag-no wait, _bags_? Me, me, me, me and once again, me! I'm giving you everything and more and yet you go running to some other guy for _more_? What more could you possibly want?"

"Sometimes everything just isn't enough." It was so true. Maryse had all the material she could want but she wasn't happy.

"I have nothing else to give you!"

"It's not about the material possessions-"

"You just said you were sleeping with this guy because he bought you stuff!" Mike shouted, banging his fist down on the marble counter. "You know, before we got together, I couldn't stay faithful to a girl beyond about three dates. I've been with you for months and I've barely looked at another girl. I guess the first cut really is the deepest." Maryse could've sworn she saw his eyes cloud over, as he used the back of his hand to wipe them. "Why'd you have to throw it away? Why don't I make you happy?"

This was utterly heartbreaking for Maryse to watch. "I think you should go."

"No," He shook his head angrily, pushing away any furious tears. Apparently that sadness was anger. "I want to know what I did wrong. And I don't want to go until you tell me."

"This is ridiculous-"

"No, you sleeping with someone else was ridiculous." He corrected, raising his voice. "Is he better than me?"

"Mike-"

"Does he make you claw at the sheets like I do? Does he make you bite your lip so hard it bleeds? Does he make your eyes drift to the back of your head?"

Maryse put her head in her hands as she thought of everytime she ever faked it for Mike. How she gripped at the sheets to stop herself pushing him away, or how she bit her lip to stop herself shouting out Ted's name and how she closed her eyes so she could pretend it were Ted's hands all over her body and not Mike's. Not just Mike, but any man she slept with.

"Please tell me you weren't thinking of him whilst we were having sex."

"I wasn't thinking of _him_." Maryse answered truthfully.

"You're lying!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "I can tell you're lying to me!"

"Stop it!" She shrieked, pushing him off her. "I can't take back what's happened so how're we going to sort this out?" She polished off the remains of her glass, feeling the alcohol flowing through her. "You wanna yell at me until it's out of your system? Yell at me. You wanna go sleep with someone else? Fuck away. You want to hit me?" As soon as those words were out of her mouth, she regretted them but somehow, didn't want to take them back. "Then hit me."

Those last words completely changed the expression of Mike's face.

"You want to hit me." She concluded. "Go on. If it's going to make you feel better, then do it."

Perhaps it was the fact she was finally releasing six years of frustration or just too much alcohol – she'd been drinking with her clients – but Maryse was a woman possessed. Keeping her illness a secret meant she had a lot of bottled up rage and she was at last able to shout it out. It wasn't Mike she was attacking, but anything and anyone that'd ever caused her pain.

"Don't test me, Ryse." Mike warned.

"Go on, I'm begging you." Maryse challenged. "Hit on. Be the bigger man and hit the spoilt little bitch that cheated on you. Hit her because she cared about your wallet more than she cared about you. Hit her because you fell in love for the first time and she never reciprocated those feelings. Hit her because everything you fucked her, she faked-"

That was enough for Mike, as he flew at the blonde, pinning her back against the fridge with one hand and using the other to aim a fist at her pretty face. One fist turned into a flurry until he eventually stepped back to survey the damage. Her nose and lip were busted and bloody and her left eye was swollen up.

Touching her mouth and drawing away a blood-covered finger, she managed to say. "Maybe you should go now."

* * *

I know it was really depressing, but I _really_ enjoyed writing that chapter :):)  
Hope you enjoyed it too, and please, keep **review**ing!  
Big love Xx


	11. Kiss The Pain Away

Thanks to _Glamagirl, keepthefaithx, rkofan2012, Team McOrton_ and _xsostarstruck_ for reviewing. You guys = awesomeness, as my good friend The Miz would say.  
I'd say there's about three, possibly four chapters left, so enjoy :)

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**KISS THE PAIN AWAY**

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********

"The answer's C, 1944!" Ted yelled at Regis Philbin on the television, getting a little too competitive at the _Who Wants To Be A Millionaire_ rerun. "It's definitely C."

"No, it's D, 1946." Michelle corrected with a satisfied smile, watching as D was revealed to be the right answer. "After science, history is _my_ subject. I love it. You will _not_ trump me on the history questions on here."

It was a Sunday night and Ted, Natalya, Cody and his girlfriend Michelle were all sat around in the living room, drinking and aimlessly channel flicking. Deciding that staying in and drinking would be much cheaper than going out on a bar crawl, the foursome ordered a Chinese takeout and ended up getting a little too competitive over the game show, resulting in Ted and Cody having to sit on separate ends of the room.

"Right, Darren and I had better get going," Michelle's son was also at the house, but she'd put him to bed in Cody's room.

"Do you really have to go?" Cody whined, taking hold of her hand and letting her pull him to his feet. To say he and Michelle were inseparable would be an understatement; Michelle spent more time at his house than she did at her own.

The blonde nodded. "It's getting late and the little man and I both have school in the morning. You can come with me, if you want." She gave Ted and Natalya a small wave. "See you guys later."

"You know I might just take you up on that offer." Cody wrapped an arm around Michelle's waist as they went into the bedroom to find Darren. "See you guys in the morning."

Natalya finished up her drink before pulling on her cardigan and standing up, "I'm gonna hit the sack too. I've got an early morning yoga class to lead tomorrow."

"Do you even know yoga?" Ted smirked.

"Nope but the yoga teacher can't make it so the gym asked me to run it. Don't stay up too late." She winked, before disappearing into her bedroom.

With Natalya gone, Ted stretched his legs out on the couch, making himself comfortable and turning on Sports Centre. It wouldn't be long until he had to go back to work again and he definitely had that 'Sunday evening feeling' of wanting his freedom to last for as long as possible. He managed to lean across to the coffee table to crack open another can of beer but the persistent ringing of the doorbell stopped him from being fully relaxed.

"_Get up off your ass and answer the door!_" Ted heard Natalya shout from her bedroom.

"You do it!" He shouted back.

"_I'm getting ready for bed, wearing butterfly pyjamas! That's not something our guests want to see!"_

Completely reluctant and with a languid sigh, Ted got to his feet and walked towards the door, looking through the peephole to see who was there. It was too dark to get a good look, but even in the black of night, the silhouette of such a beautiful woman was completely impossible to ignore. When he opened the door and the frosted glass was gone, however, it was a different story.

"I didn't know where else to come," She stammered, shivering on the doorstep.

Maryse looked terrible. Clutching her stilettos in her hand, she was wearing nothing more than a body con dress, which did little to shield her from the freezing cold night. The normally impeccable face looked drained but the injuries on it were what really worried Ted. Her lower lip had a fresh cut on it, with dried blood encrusting it and her nose was bruised and bloody. Not to mention her left eye was completely wrecked, a large purple swell surrounding it. But she wasn't crying, despite the fact she looked utterly miserable.

Unsure of what he was supposed to say, he held out his arms and pulled her into them, feeling her cold skin shivering beneath him. They stayed in that way for about a minute or so before Ted pulled away and placed his hands on Maryse's shoulders. "You're freezing," He whispered.

"No cab driver wants to take the girl that's bleeding, selfish bastards." She muttered back, folding her arms in a feeble attempt at producing some body heat. "So I walked here."

"Get in here," Ted took one of her icy hands and pulled it into the house, taking her straight up to his bedroom so they didn't disturb Natalya. Once they were inside with the door closed, he grabbed a sweater from his closet and handed it to her, before asking, "What happened?"

"Mike and I got into a fight." Maryse pulled the jumper on properly and leant against the radiator, instantly inserting some colour back into her cheeks. "He saw me leave a hotel with one of my clients."

"He knows?"

She shook her head. "I lied and told him I was having an affair." Observing the look on Ted's face, she explained, "He can't know the truth. It would break his heart."

"So instead he decided to break your face?" Ted said bitterly, sitting down next to Maryse with his back to the heater. Lifting a hand, he carefully cupped her jaw, taking in each flaw. "How could he do this to you?" He didn't expect an answer.

"It's fine," Turning her head, Maryse felt Ted's hand drop. "I goaded him into it. It was a heated argument."

"That's not a real reason for something to do this to you." He paused. "You don't deserve it. He doesn't deserve you."

"I'm no good, Ted." She chuckled sadly, tipping her head back and feeling the heat radiate against her hairline. "I deserve whatever's coming to me."

"I couldn't think of anything further from the truth," Ted admitted. She was so shaken, he never imagined he'd see her this way. Normally so confident, it was almost eerie to see her so calm and reserved; although he wasn't surprised, considering Mike had hit her. "Has he done this to you before?"

"No, Mike would never do anything to hurt me," The words seemed meaningless once they were out of her mouth. "Well, before this. He adores me." She got up and stared out of the window, watching New York City below her and feeling so isolated from everything and everyone else in the world; she wanted more than anything for Ted to know but her head was telling her that she'd make a big mistake if she did so. "Life with Mike was safe. With him, things are steady. There's a plan. Without him, I'm back at the beginning."

Ted stood behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "There's nothing wrong with starting back at square one. Sometimes all we need is a fresh start."

"I'm sick of fresh starts," She laughed. "They never work out how you want them to."

"Maybe you just need the right person to start a fresh with."

Maryse turned around and realized she and Ted were stood dangerously close. "You can't rely on other people to make you happy. The only person you can truly rely on is yourself."

"You can rely on me." Ted rested a hand on the back of Maryse's neck, feeling her tip her head back at his touch. "Why else did you come here tonight?"

With the softest of kisses, Maryse pressed her lips against Ted's, minding her cuts. It was the briefest kiss because her mouth hurt too much, but Ted was so sweet. She was sick of fighting against it; in that moment, she was lonelier than ever and who was she to deny this man that longed for her? More to the point, who was she to deny herself?

In fact, the only thing sweeter than that kiss on Ted's lips were the soft kisses he placed on her face, so careful moving around her bruises; across her forehead and the ridge of her eyebrows, down the bridge of her nose and stopping before the cut, kisses on her soft cheek. It was blissful for Maryse. Snaking his arms around her waist, he found the zip on her dress and slowly undid it, until it fell to the ground.

"Are you cold?" Ted pressed kisses against her ear so his voice was muffled. Maryse managed to shake her head in response, as she backed towards the bed and pulled Ted down on top of her. Once the rest of their clothing was shed, Ted's kisses moved down Maryse's neck, from shoulder to finger, and then along her slim abdomen. Instead of closing her eyes, Maryse made sure they were wide open and when Ted caught her gaze, he smiled a smile no man had ever given her before. It didn't matter that she was dying; she'd never felt so alive.

As he hovered over her, Maryse raised a hand and ran a hand through Ted's hair, before placing a kiss on Ted's lips once more. "Why do you care about me so much?"

"Because," Ted leaned down to press an even smaller kiss again on Maryse's lips. "You don't know how lovely you are."

How was she supposed to react to that? Maryse was speechless. Why did he do this? She did nothing but push him away and yet here he was, making her feel so special. Ted deserved so much better. "I don't want to hurt you," Maryse admitted, turning her head so she wasn't looking him in the eye.

"Then don't." He offered a small laugh. "Maybe in the long run, you will hurt me but until then, we have tonight." Standing up off the bed, he sighed. "If you don't want to do this, then you're free to leave. It's your choice."

That was the last thing Maryse wanted. With a smile and a shake of her head, Maryse said. "Come back to bed, Ted."

Before when she and Ted had sex, they didn't know each other. It was pure lust. Now they shared something deeper that neither one could ignore. The connection between them was undeniable and finally, after years of pain, Maryse felt content.

* * *

Ted didn't take his eyes off of Maryse. As he lay next to her in bed, they both raised their entwined fingers and he stared at her, intense concentration on her face as she examined their hands.

"What?" The blonde turned on her side to look at Ted, a grin forming and instantly brightening up her battered face. "You're staring at me."

"Is that a crime?"

"Only if you start following me everywhere I go." She giggled, resting her head on her hand as she propped herself up on her elbow. "Do you have work today?"

He nodded. "Those finance figures are calling my name."

"I'd quite like a job at a bank. I could wear smart shirts and pencil skirts, moan about a heavy workload-"

"Well, the only heavy workload you have to worry about right now is mine."

"That's not a bad joke actually." Maryse snorted. "Maybe I should apply for a job at the bank."

"What about _The Dollhouse_?"

"It's a long story but to cut it short, I won't be going back there for a while. Let's just say they weren't particularly happy with me hitting you and _The Dollhouse _has a strict no-violence policy which didn't go unnoticed in my circumstance."

"I forgot all about that," Ted laughed, falling on his back. "You've got a pretty good right hook. Perhaps you should consider boxing."

"Thank you, thank you." From her pile of clothes came the sound of Maryse's buzzing phone. "Do you mind if I get that?"

"Go ahead." Ted watched as Maryse got out of bed and scrambled around the pile until she triumphantly pulled out her phone. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen as the smile that was once on her face quickly faded. "What's up?"

"I've got to go." She began putting on the dress she'd been wearing the previous night urgently.

"What's going on?" Ted put on his own clothes. "Is everything okay?" He came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist.

Maryse sighed. "Mike wants to meet with me." Ted's hands dropped from her frame, before he took the phone out of Maryse's hand and read Mike's message.

_We need to talk. Starbucks in 20. M x. _

"You can't go." Ted threw the phone down onto the bed. He believed if he could place the tiniest seed of doubt into her mind, he could stop Maryse from leaving. "What reasons could you possibly have for going?"

"I have to hear him out."

"No, you don't!" Ted exclaimed, taking hold of her hands. "Maryse, I can look after you-"

"Ted-"

"-I care about you so much-"

"Ted-"

"-and I just want to take care of you-"

"Ted!" Maryse snatched her hands away, raising her voice. "I'm not a child. I don't need 'looking after' or 'taking care of' so just..." Her voice disappeared. "I have to go."

And with no more words, she was gone.

"Fuck!" Ted yelled, throwing himself back first onto the bed. As he did so, however, he felt something hard digging into his spine. Rooting around underneath him, he pulled out Maryse's cell phone.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed. Please leave a **review** :)  
Just a heads up, the next chapter will be a flashback... DUN DUN DUN. And let's just say, it will reveal a lot ;)


	12. Turn Back The Clock

Thanks to _rkofan12, Team McOrton, Glamagirl, xsostarstruck _and _xAracnaex_ for the reviews :)  
Hope you enjoy.

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**TURN BACK THE CLOCK  
Three years ago.**

**

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**

"_So remind me again who everyone is," Ted DiBiase said to his girlfriend Mickie James, as they got out of the cab and headed into the airport. "I don't want to get there and be calling everyone by the wrong name." _

_Mickie rolled her eyes and let go of Ted's hand so he could get their suitcases out of the trunk. "You're hopeless." _

"_Just remind me!" _

"_Okay," Mickie sighed. "My mom's called Debbie and she's a horse riding teacher. My dad's called Tim and he's a high school gym teacher. Then there's my younger brother Daniel – the smart one – who's at Columbia University doing some kind of finance degree and my older sister Shelley is a hairdresser. Got it?"_

"_Debbie the horse riding teacher, Tim the gym teacher, Daniel the finance student and Shelley the hairdresser?" _

"_They're gonna love you just as much as I do." Mickie leaned in and cupped her boyfriend's cheeks, before pulling him in for a passionate kiss. She licked her lips as she pulled away and gave a small smirk. "Actually, hopefully not just as much. That could be a little weird." _

_Ted and Mickie had been together for about a year and this was the first time Ted would be meeting Mickie's parents. Seeing as his whole family were from Mississippi, Mickie had met the DiBiases many a time and they were absolutely in love with her. But for Ted to go to Virginia with Mickie to meet the James family for the first time at Mickie's mother's birthday party, it was a big deal. Her whole family would be there and with their relationship was still reasonably new and Ted wanted to make a good impression._

"_I've got two tickets to Virginia under the name DiBiase." Ted said to the receptionist on the main desk. _

"_Ah yes," The receptionist began tapping into her computer. "Unfortunately the flight has been delayed by an hour however it is definitely still coming." _

"_Don't worry, we're not in a rush." _

_At least this would give Ted more time to prepare what he was going to say to his possible in-laws. Like he said, the relationship was still reasonably new but Mickie was definitely the kind of girl Ted could see himself settling down with. It was just the other day his mother had given him the DiBiase family ring; the ring that had been passed down through four generations and now for Ted to give to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He didn't intend to use the ring straight away however. Ted may have loved Mickie but he wasn't ready for marriage. _

"_Right, I want to check I've got everything." Mickie rifled through her hand luggage, checking off items as she went through. "...Passports, cell phone, pres-" She stopped. "Ted, I've forgotten my mom's birthday present." _

"_Are you sure?" _

_She nodded. "I put it in my hand luggage instead of my suitcase because I wanted to show it to Victoria when we stopped at hers on our way here. I must've left it on her coffee table when she showed us her new guest room!" She put her head in her hands. "I'm gonna have to go back there and get it." _

"_Micks, are you sure? We might not have time. If necessary, we can stop somewhere when we get to Richmond and pick something up-" _

"_Ted, it's a first edition copy of my mom's favourite childhood book. It's absolutely priceless and she's wanted it for so long that I can't possibly get her anything else that would compare. It's lucky Victoria only lives about ten minutes away. I'm sorry, I'll be super quick." She kissed her boyfriend once more, before dashing back towards the parking lot. _

* * *

"_Excuse me, I think I've been the victim of an awful practical joke." Maryse slammed her boarding pass and passport down on the receptionist's desk. "I was supposed to be on a flight from California to New York, but the inexperienced air hostess put me on a flight to Mississippi instead. Not only have I been charged for a flight I wasn't supposed to take but I'm now in completely the wrong state! And I'm supposed to be in New York right now!" _

_Maryse was absolutely fuming. She had a client waiting for her in less than an hour and to boot, he was one of her highest tippers. Not only did she have a personal client, but she was working at The Dollhouse all night and had a doctor's appointment the next morning. Punctuality was essential to her and she had zero intention of being late. _

"_I can only apologise-" The receptionist glanced at her pass. "-Miss Ouellet. I'll speak to my supervisor and do my very best to sort this out." She tapped into her computer. "The next flight going out to New York is in two hours; I'll check we have a space on board." _

"_Thank you," Maryse said with a sigh. _

"_In the mean time, if you'd like to wait in our waiting area, just through there." _

_Doing as she was told, Maryse made her way through to the waiting area. There was only one other person in there, a man who'd been on her flight with her. As soon as he acknowledged this, he offered her a smile. "They put you on the wrong flight too, didn't they?" He was a British man; tall and muscular, with dark hair and a serious yet handsome exterior._

"_I can't stand airports." She admitted, pulling out her cell phone and realising she had six missed calls from Kevin Nash. _

"_Would you believe the one time I fly first class this happens?" He smirked from the other side of the waiting room, before getting up and sitting next to her and holding out a hand. "Stu Bennett." _

"_Maryse Ouellet." She shook his hand, a demure smile on her face. They both looked business-orientated, he in a dark suit and she wearing a grey pencil skirt, a black blouse and Christian Louboutins. They were almost matching. "So what brings you to America? Business or pleasure? I gathered from your accent that you're from England."_

"_Originally, but I'm living and working in New York." He replied, scanning her from head-to-toe. "Forgive me for being forward, but you seem very familiar. Have we met before?" _

_It was only then that Maryse realised she and Stu had met before. Their encounter had been business on her end and pleasure on his; one night, two blow jobs and three fucks in a Plaza Hotel room. Maryse never forgot a face but somehow, this man's had slipped her. Many of her clients used fake names, and that was when his came to her; 'Wade Barrett'. _

"_My mind's gone blank," Maryse shrugged, continuing to scan through her phone. _

"_Wait a second...did you and I-?" Stu raised a hand and a smile fell onto his face. "Well, well, well, I didn't expect to see Frenchie at a Mississippi airport."_

"_And I didn't expect to see Wade Barrett." She countered, refusing to look at him. "Or would you rather I called you Stu Bennett?" _

_He smirked and dug out his wallet. "Seeing as we've been reunited, what do you say we...pass the time while we're here?" _

"_Sorry, but I have a strict 'what stays in New York' policy." She'd already become a member of the Mile High Club and it was a less than pleasant experience, definitely not all it was hyped up to be. _

"_Of course I'm offering you money-"_

_Maryse got to her feet and shook her head. "Call me when we're back in New York, Mr Bennett, but I don't do business over state lines." She blew a small kiss in his direction before disappearing out of the waiting room and out into the main area. _

"_Wait!" He pushed her against the wall so no-one could see what they were doing, before he hissed in her ear, "I don't think you understand that my offer was a demand and not exactly optional." No-one could see as his hand travel down the waistband of her skirt and into her panties, forcing her to flinch uncomfortably at his cold touch. "Besides, you certainly didn't say no before-"_

"_Hey!" Both Maryse and Stu turned around and saw they weren't alone, as another man was walking towards them. He wasn't as tall as Stu but looked pretty strong in his own right. He had a reasonably attractive face and wore jeans, loafers and a polo tee; certainly not as smart as the business types before him. The man turned to Maryse, "Is this guy bothering you?" _

_Stu removed his hand from Maryse and stepped towards the new man. "Why don't you mind your own business, pal?" _

"_I certainly don't like seeing an innocent woman being prayed on in public and I don't think airport security would either," He stepped back from Stu and placed a hand on the small of Maryse's back. "I'll keep quiet if you back off and leave her alone." Shaking his head and tutting under his breath, Stu disappeared. "Are you okay?" He said to the blonde. _

"_Yeah, I'm fine," Maryse nodded, pushing her hair out of her face and pulling out a couple of hairs in the process. With a small laugh, she brushed them onto the floor. _

"_Did you know that guy?" _

"_Sort of...he's an asshole." She offered a grin, despite feeling shaky. It was reassuring to know as soon as this guy disappeared, she could take the medication that sat at the bottom of her handbag. "But thank you for being an unlikely knight in shining armour." _

"_Hey, there's nothing I love more than saving a damsel in distress in the middle of the airport." He grinned back. This guy seemed...sweet; a real boy-next-door type. "I'm Ted DiBiase." _

"_Maryse." She said. "Maryse Ouellet. So where're you heading-" _

"_Ted!" From behind them, a petite brunette ran over, clutching a parcel in her left hand, slightly out of breath. She placed a kiss on Ted's lips, and sighed deeply. "Would you believe that about halfway down the road, I remembered I left the book on the backseat!" The brunette shot a curious look in Maryse's direction. "I'm Mickie, Ted's girlfriend." _

"_Maryse." The blonde introduced herself again, slightly offended by Mickie's rudeness. "I was having some problems with a strange guy and Ted here helped me out. He's a true gentleman."_

"_Yeah, I'm a lucky girl." Mickie looped her arm through her boyfriend's, protectively. Maryse got it, they were together, Mickie didn't have to make it so obvious. "Come on, Ted, we should get going." _

"_Okay," Ted looked at Maryse for a few moments and smiled. "Well, it was nice to meet you. Have a safe flight." _

"_You too. And thanks again." Maryse watched as Ted and Mickie disappeared towards their terminal. What a nice guy, she thought to herself. _

_

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Snapping herself out of her daydream, Maryse rubbed her eyes. Suddenly, everything made so much sense. She and Ted had met before and that's how he knew her. It was such a brief encounter but obviously he remembered it and now, she did too. How crazy was it that a minute of her life could so drastically come back to her?_

Maryse paid the cab driver and got out. She made her way into Starbucks, ordered herself a latte and set herself up in a private corner, recluse enough so she and Mike could talk in peace, but visible enough that he could see her when he came in. She sipped at her latte and watched the people around her, thinking of how driven they all were; business types with places to go, things to do and people to meet.

In some ways, it was enviable.

Checking her cell phone, Maryse saw she had no new messages. Just as she was about to call Kevin and beg for her job back, she saw Mike enter the coffee shop. Putting on her best smile and raising a hand, she greeted him. He approached her without a smile of his own.

"What's going on?" Maryse asked, as he sat down opposite her.

"I just got a call from Ted which I think we need to talk about."

* * *

...well that certainly answered some questions, didn't it? :)  
Two chapters left! Please leave a **review**!


	13. Stand By Me

Thanks to _rkofan2012, Glamagirl, xAracnaex, keepthefaithx _and _xsostarstruck _for reviewing.  
Here's chapter 13 :)

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**STAND BY ME**

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Ted looked to his left with a smile, one which Stephanie McMahon returned before discretely placing a cross in the left corner of the grid they'd created, signalling her sixth victory in the long, dragged out meeting.

The youngest McMahon was not only kickass at noughts and crosses, but was the head of VKM Harlow Banks' advertising sector and despite usually working in California with her brother, she was making a visit to the New York branch to discuss a new initiative. Turns out Stephanie was a little more fun than the men of the family – then again, Shane's escort secret could be classed as wild.

"I'm so bored." Stephanie muttered under her breath, placing down her pen and flashing her father a dazzling smile as he presented to the team. "New game?"

"Absolutely." Ted whispered back drawing up a new grid. "It'll be another six games at this rate."

"Tell me about it. Some excitement is needed, ASAP."

As if by pure luck, the door of the conference room flew open and in came Maryse, her heels clicking against the wooden floor as Vince's assistant scuttled after her, repeatedly hissing, "You can't storm in here! There's a meeting going on!"

"Shut up!" Maryse shrieked, sending the assistant reeling backwards before yelling down the table. "Ted DiBiase, how dare you!"

Twenty pairs of eyes swivelled Ted's way but he couldn't take his off Maryse. She was staring at him with such fury and hatred, as if killing him would've given her great pleasure. He was utterly speechless. What was he supposed to say to make that moment better?

Luckily, he didn't have to say a word as Maryse was more than happy to continue her tirade. "How dare you call up Mike, how dare you tell him about my job and how dare you tell him we slept together!"

Vince stepped forward, clearly having forgotten he'd met Maryse before. "Miss, I understand you're angry-"

"Angry? Angry doesn't cover it, I'm furious!" She banged her fist against the table. "I've said it before DiBiase but I've never meant it as much as I do in this moment. Stay out of my business and get out of my life!" And she stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

The awkward silence turned to awkward whispers, before Stephanie commented, "Now _that_ was exciting."

* * *

"Maryse, can I come in?" Ted pressed the buzzer for access to Maryse's apartment. The doorman shot Ted an evil glare but he decided to ignore it.

"_Go away, Ted_." Her voice flooded through the small speaker, just as angry she'd been at his office. "_I told you to leave me alone. So do it." _

"All I want is a couple of minutes of your time." He had a feeling the blonde wouldn't be best pleased with him but once he explained himself, he thought she might come around. "Please, just five minutes, tops. After those five minutes, if you want me to stay away forever...then fine. I will _never_ speak to you again."

There was silence from Maryse's end, only the slight fuzzing of the intercom before she said _"Fine. Come on up." _She buzzed Ted up and walked up the steps to Maryse's apartment, where she was waiting at the door.

This was the simplest Ted had ever seen Maryse look. She wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt and bare feet, her plum-painted toenails on show. Her hair was lightly wavy and her face stripped of make-up, exposing the now-fading bruises Mike had inflicted on her. Everytime he saw her, he believed she was at her most beautiful but this time completely topped them all, as she leaned nonchalantly against the door frame, her arms folded and her muted face.

"Why am I even wasting my time listening to you?" She asked, stepping inside the apartment and closing the door behind them.

"You want to hear me out, don't you?" Ted looked around the apartment. "Nice place you've got here. I was unaware the prostitution industry paid so well."

Maryse rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the couches. "Was that a joke? And like I told you before, the apartment itself was courtesy of Mike. But everything else is paid for by me." Initially, he sat down next to her on the couch, but with one glowering glance, she sent him onto the opposite armchair. "So go on. Explain yourself."

"Aren't you at least going to offer me a drink?" Maybe he was pushing his luck a little bit, but Ted was quietly confident. He'd been waiting for this moment long enough and he wasn't going to rush it.

"Fine," She went over to her kitchen and grabbed a bottle of red wine and two glasses before putting them down on the coffee table. "Anything else, master?" She said sarcastically, as she poured them, handing one to Ted. "Like, I dunno...a foot rub?"

"If you're offering-"

"This is my apartment and I can kick you out at anytime." She reminded him. "The only reason I invited you in was so you could return my cell phone to me and let me know why you decided to make calls on it." Sitting back on the couch, she added, "And don't skip any details."

Ted decided that the simplest way to begin was to state how he felt at that very moment. "Maryse, I love you."

A silence formed, as Maryse didn't flinch, instead her face gave out a look that insinuated that he should continue what he was going to say. "But that doesn't answer my question." She said softly.

"I don't know what it is, but all it took was one dream and suddenly, you became my life. Back in Mississippi, I could go about my daily life but...I couldn't take my mind off you. You consumed all my thoughts so that's why I went so out of my way to find you. It may have been crazy and I guess deep down, I never expected anything to come of it. All I needed was some reassurance that reality wouldn't compete with my dreams. But then I met you.

"You exceeded every expectation I ever had. When I saw you at _The Dollhouse, _I was like 'Okay, she's a stripper' and I guess that only added to my feelings that you weren't going to compete with what I imagined you to be. Then I got to know you and everything changed. You put up this hard exterior and you act like you don't want to let anyone in but when you break down those walls...you're amazing. You're this beautiful, intelligent, funny woman that deserves the world. I believe I can give you that world.

"I couldn't give you everything though, could I? You were with Mike, who'd become my friend but more importantly, he made you happy. And when you care about someone, you care about their happiness above all, even if I'm not a part of that. They say New York's a big city but I felt so compressed and all these feelings I had for you just feel so much worse because everywhere I went, you were there. It's horrible seeing the one you love and knowing you can't have them.

"Then you came to me. You were hurt and you turned to me. I want to be that person you come to when you need someone. That night, I told you that you could rely on me and I will forever stand by that. That night we spent together was the greatest night of my life – I've never felt that kind of connection with anyone else.

"But you left again. You went back to Mike after he hurt you and that hurt me. Yeah, maybe it was stupid but I knew telling Mike about you but I knew it would show you that he doesn't care about you like I do. I know you're a prostitute and I don't give a shit because I love you for _you_. And that's all I can give you. Take it or leave it."

Maryse didn't know how she was supposed to react. Leaning forward, she sipped from her glass of wine. "I know why you had a dream about me." She began softly.

"Really?"

"Think back about three years to a Mississippi airport and a pretty blonde girl being harassed by a British guy in a suit. You came to her when she needed you the most-"

A look of realisation flooded across Ted's face. "That was you." He whispered, looking across the coffee table. Scarcely, he got to his feet and walked over to Maryse before kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands in his own. "I was there back then and I'm still here now."

"Ted..." Maryse didn't know how to put her feelings into words. She reached out a hand and ran in along his cheek and stopped at his shoulder. "I've told you before; I'm only going to hurt you and I care about you way too much to do that."

"Exactly. You care about me." He stood up and grabbed Maryse's hands, pulling her up as well. "That's why I'm not going anywhere. Because I know you want to be with me just as much as I want to be with you."

"There's so much you don't know about me-"

"So let me in. Tell me who Maryse Ouellet is." He cupped her face in his hands. "The Maryse I know is the most amazing person in the world and nothing will stop me believing that."

This was torture. Maryse wanted to tell Ted everything. She wanted him to know how ill she was and how she probably didn't have much time left but as she constantly said, she didn't want to hurt him. Her gaze drifted over to her handbag which sat on the kitchen counter; her pills were in there.

"Look at me," Ted moved her face so she was looking at him again. "You can't tell me there's anyone in this world that will love you the way I can, no matter what. No-one will put you on as high a pedestal as I will."

As Maryse thought back on the night she and Ted spent together, she knew he was right. The way he looked at her assured her that she was the only one for him and it sparked an idea that maybe he was the only one for her.

Ever so gently, he pressed his lips against hers, suddenly able to taste the salty tears that had fallen from her eyes. "Why're you crying?" He whispered, thumbing away the teardrops.

"You," She managed to say. "You make me feel alive." When Maryse was with Ted, she didn't feel like she was dying anymore. Opening her mouth, she knew it was going to be the first time she said the words, "I love you."

"Say it again. I need to make sure I heard you right."

Maryse giggled lightly through her tears. "I love you." She used the back of her hands to wipe them away, a giggle coming out again, as if she couldn't believe what she was saying. "I love you, Ted DiBiase." And he pulled her in for a passionate kiss, confirming they were finally each others.

"Say it again." He murmured into the kiss.

"Ted!" She laughed, slapping his chest. "Don't ruin the moment." Pressing her forehead against Ted's, she whispered. "Let's get out of here."

"Out of your apartment?"

"No, out of New York." Maryse replied excitedly. "There are too many bad memories here for me. We need a fresh start somewhere new." Sure it was rash, but Maryse knew if she only had a short period of time left, she wanted it to be special. "Anywhere. Just the two of us."

"I could be anywhere in the world," Ted kissed her again, never tiring of her lips. "And as long as it's with you, I'll be happy."

* * *

Haha, I'll bet some of you are thinking "FINALLY!"  
Although as I've said before this won't be a happy story and if you _are _looking for a happy ending, I advise you to stop reading now!  
Remember, the next chapter will be the final one.  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and please leave a **review. **Xx**  
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	14. Everlasting

Thanks to _BigRedMachineUK, Glamagirl, keepthefaithx, Team McOrton, xsostarstruck _and _rkofan2012_ for the reviews :)  
Here comes the last chapter *sob* and if you're confused, the first section and third section are told from Ted's POV and the middle bit is in third person.  
Enjoy.

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**EVERLASTING **

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**Sitting in that hospital waiting room, I'd never gone through such an array of emotions. There was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, all the way up to my throat. I wanted to cry, yell, find someone to blame but I was completely numb. After waiting so long for Maryse, the idea of losing her was devastating.

For half a year, we travelled. Maryse said she wanted to see the world so we did; England, France, Japan, Australia, Brazil – no expense spared. We'd spend mornings lounging in bed, sightsee all afternoon, experience the local cuisine before spending the nights making love. We kissed on top of the Eiffel Tower, we watched the fireworks in Sydney at New Year and we saw the whole of London stretched before us on the London Eye. They were the best times of my life. In those six months, we developed an inseparable bond that couldn't be put into words. I didn't need anyone else but her.

But one night in Los Angeles, something went very wrong.

We were in our hotel room, getting ready for bed. I was getting undressed in the bedroom and Maryse was using the bathroom. She didn't come out for five minutes and when I went inside, I found her passed out on the floor. An ambulance was called and she was transferred to the nearest hospital.

I was completely oblivious to the fact Maryse was in bad health. Her doctor was flown in from New York to look after her and it was he that informed me she was seriously ill. A couple of days of tests were carried out until it was established that nothing more could be done and we'd have to wait.

The wait was torture. How was I supposed to wait for my girlfriend to die? I had so many unanswered questions but most of all...why? Why the girl I'd fallen in love with? Why me? Why Maryse?

"Ted!"

The waiting room doors burst open and Natalya ran in, tears falling from her eyes as Cody and Michelle followed closely behind her. I hadn't seen the three of them since Maryse and I left and I was completely oblivious at that point to how much had changed. I let Natalya hold me for a little while. A couple of days prior, I'd called her to tell her what was going on and as soon as she could get away, the trio left New York for California.

"This isn't fair." She whispered in my ear. "It's not fair at all." I glanced over at Cody, my best friend, who was staying strong, keeping an arm around a teary Michelle.

Once again, the doors opened but this time, it was Dr Charles Underwood, the look on his face morbid.

"It's not good, is it?" I confirmed.

Charles shook his head. "Unfortunately not. We're not predicting she'll make it through the night." He paused, allowing me to take in what he'd just said. "She's as comfortable as she can be and she's currently responsive but weak. Perhaps now's the time to go see her."

After a final hand squeeze from Natalya, I felt my heart speed up as I followed Charles down the corridor.

* * *

Through the glass pane on the door, Ted looked at Maryse. She was lying back in the bed, her blonde locks as impeccably neat and they usually were and her lips pouted, as her eyes drifted open and closed. Like a sleeping angel, her beauty still managed to take his breath away.

"Hey," Ted managed to say as he entered the room, his voice shaky and uncertain.

Maryse squinted before opening her eyes fully and offering a demure smile. "Ted." Her voice was surprisingly steady and calm.

"Cody, Natalya and Michelle are outside." He began.

"Tell them I say hi." She giggled softly but upon noticing the look on Ted's face, she frowned. "This is what I meant when I said I didn't want to hurt you. You shouldn't have to go through this."

"And when I said I'd stand by you through everything, I meant it." He dragged a chair over to her bedside. "If it's any consolation, you still look stunning."

"You're lying."

"I've never been more truthful in my life."

Another demure smile. "And if it's any consolation to you, these six months have been the best of my life. Nothing's been the same since you walked into my life, Theodore Marvin DiBiase Junior and you've changed me for the better."

"There was always a good person in there." He placed a hand on her heart. "She just needed the right person to set her free."

"One day, you'll make a brilliant husband."

"Don't say that," Ted shook his head. "No-one will ever compare to you-"

"No," Maryse took Ted's hand in her own; her skin was still warm to touch. "You've made me so happy and I want someone else to know how amazing you are. Another woman deserves to experience the privilege I have because I've been blessed to call you mine."

Ted could feel his eyes swelling up with tears. He tried to bite them back but couldn't, as he felt one run down each cheek. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without you, Ryse."

"You'll never be without me, Ted. Even when I'm gone, I'll still be there really."

"How so?"

A dreamy look crossed the blonde's face, so radiant and innocent, yet filled with the knowledge of an old spirit. "You're gonna meet a beautiful woman and she's going to ask about your first real love – the kind that set your heart on fire. You'll tell her about me and how I'll always hold a special place in your life. Your guardian angel, I guess." A single tear fell from her left eye and Ted reached over to wipe it away. "You know, before I was scared of death and that I would be alone or in pain. With you here? It's not so bad. It doesn't hurt as much."

"I love you so much." He sobbed, his hand holding hers tighter than ever, not wanting to let go. "I don't know what else I can do."

"One last kiss." She decided. "No more words, just one final everlasting kiss."

So Ted kissed Maryse; that final everlasting kiss. He never wanted it to end, his lips upon hers, he felt her smile against his mouth. When he pulled away, she smiled at him before closing her eyes. She'd given him plenty of smiles over the past six months but this was the most real.

He sat back in his chair, still holding her hand, just watching her. When they were travelling together, he'd sometimes watch her as she slept; how peaceful and beautiful she truly was. So Ted imagined he was somewhere else; the Dorchester in London or the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. But then he opened his eyes. If these were the last moments he was going to spend with the love of his life, he wanted to remember them. This time they were sharing was too precious to forget.

Two minutes later, Maryse fell asleep and a minute after that, the doctors declared her to have peacefully died in her sleep.

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I think about Maryse every day. To take the words out of her mouth, she was the first girl that set my heart on fire. At first, I was distraught. I'd wish that I died with her. After her death, I'd cry myself into the night and wake up in the morning sleep-starved with photos of her surrounding me. I was furious that she'd been taken from me so soon so I'd batter the punch bag at the local gym. In reality, none of it helped. I soon discovered that all it took was time, as everyday got a little easier. My heart aches a little less but there's still a Maryse-shaped gap to be filled.

Well, someone's started to fill it. Sort of.

A couple of years after Maryse's death, I finally have closure. I couldn't face going home to Mississippi and I tried New York but everywhere reminded me of Maryse. I knew what I really needed was a fresh start. A job came up in the finance department of the Seattle Seahawks football team so I packed my bags and headed to Washington. Sure, finance will never be my passion but working with a football team is certainly a lot more interesting than my past jobs. It was in Seattle that I met Kristen. She's a nurse and is slowly mending my broken heart. She's beautiful, sweet and knows everything about Maryse. There were girls before Kristen but they found it difficult to accept my past. Kristen, on the other hand, knows she's not a Maryse replacement. I was never looking for a Maryse replacement and not just because no-one could replace her.

You might be wondering about the others. I still talk to Eve from Mississippi a little bit but she's a busy girl now; she's achieved her dream and is now dancing in Broadway shows. Cody and Michelle – who got engaged two days before Maryse's death – got married and even have a daughter together, little Maryse Rhodes. They moved to Michelle's hometown of Palatka Florida for a fresh start but I still talk to them all the time. Natalya's still living in New York in the house she, Cody and I shared and is engaged to one of the guys she worked with at her gym. Everytime I visit her in New York and I walk the city streets, I think of Maryse.

In fact, it doesn't matter where I am, Maryse is always there and I never want her to leave. When she said I'd never be without her, she was completely right.

It was Maryse that said I changed her life but in reality, she changed me. She was...no, she _is_ the beautiful girl that I stood by until the end. With her, I discovered how one person can give you feelings you've never felt before and that you might never feel again.

From the first dream to the last kiss, I'll never forget Maryse Ouellet.

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*wipes away tear*  
Well...I guess that's it then! That was Caught In A Moment!  
I genuinelly got a lump in my throat writing this final chapter - killing Maryse killed me a little inside, but it was how it had to end!  
But hey, it's not a completely sad ending...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing this.  
I doubt I'll write a full-blown sequel but a one-shot may occur, just an update on the characters a couple of years on or something.  
Thank you to everyone that's reviewed/favourited/subbed and especially to the special few that reviewed every chapter. You guys are wonderful.

Big love, Melissa :) Xxx


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